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PRINCETON.     N.    J. 

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COMMENTARY   xt^,,,,. 


ON    THE 


HOLY    SCRIPTURES: 

CRITICAL,  DOCTRINAL,  AND  HOMILETICAL. 

WITH  SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO  MINISTERS  AND  STUDENTS 


JOHN   PETER '^IaNGE,  D.  D., 

OKDINABT  PaOFKBSOR  OF  THBOLOGT  IN  THE  UNIVERSITT  OP  BONH, 
oi  oovaBvnoK  with  a  kumbeb  or  khikkst  koropkait  Dirona 


TRANSLATED,   ENLARGED,   AND  EDITED 


PHILIP   SCHAFF,  D.  D., 

PBOFBSSOR   OF  THBOLOGT   IN  THK  UNION   THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY.   NEW   TORS, 
IB     OOKKKCriOM     WITH     AMERIOAX     SCHOLARS    OF     VAR10P8     BVANGKLICAL     OENOMUfATIOVS. 


70>.n(ME  XIV.  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT:  CONTAINING  THE  MINOR  PROPIfKTB 


KEW  YORK: 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SUNS, 

189'J 


THK 


MINOR  PEOPHETS 


KXEGETICALLY,  THEOLOGICALLY.   AND   HOMILETICALLY 


EXPOUNDED 


PAUL   KLEINERT,   OTTO   SCHMOLLER, 

GEORGE   R.  BLISS,  TALBOT  W.  CHAMBERS,   CHARLES  ELLIOTT, 

JOHN   FORSYTH,  J.  FREDERICK   McCURDY,   AND 

JOSEPH    PACKARD. 


EDITED  BY 

PHILIP   SCHAFF,  D.  D. 


NEW   YORK: 
CHARLES     SCRIBNER'S     SONS, 

1699 


Iktond  mccording  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  vear  1874,  OV 

tiCRIBNER,    AkMSTEONQ,    A»D   COMPANY, 

n  tlie  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washinffto*. 


Trow's 
Printing  and  Bookbinding  Company, 
805-213   East  -litk  St., 
NKW    YORK. 


PREFACE  BY  THE   GENERAL  EDITOR 


The  volume  on  the  Minor  Prophets  is  partly  in  advance  of  the  German  original, 
which  has  not  yet  reached  the  three  post-exilian  Prophets.  The  commentaries  on  the  nin« 
earlier  Prophets  by  Professors  Kleinert  and  Schmoller  appeared  in  separate  numberi 
some  time  ago  ^ ;  but  for  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  Dr.  Lange  has  not,  to  this  date, 
been  able  to  secure  a  suitable  co-laborer.^  With  his  cordial  approval  I  deem  it  better  to 
complete  the  volume  by  original  commentaries  than  indefinitely  to  postpone  the  publicatioa. 
They  were  prepared  by  sound  and  able  scholars,  in  conformity  with  the  plan  of  the  whole 
work. 

The  volume  accordingly  contains  the  following  parts,  each  one  being  paged  separately :  — 

1.  A  General  Introduction  to  the  Prophets,  especially  the  Minor  Prophets,  by 
Rev.  Charles  Elliott,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Exegesis  in  Chicago,  Illinois.  The 
general  introductions  of  Kleinert  and  Schmoller  are  too  brief  and  incomplete  for  our  purpose, 
and  therefore  I  requested  Dr.  Elliott  to  prepare  an  independent  essay  on  the  subject. 

2.  HosEA.  By  Rev.  Dr.  Otto  Schmoller.  Translated  from  the  Grerman  and  en- 
larged by  James  Frederick  McCurdy,  M.  A.,  of  Princeton.  N.  J. 

8.  Joel.  By  Otto  Schmoller.  Translated  and  enlarged  by  Rev.  John  Forsyth, 
D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Chaplain  and  Professor  of  Ethics  and  Law  in  the  United  States  Military 
Academy,  West  Point,  N.  Y. 

4.  Amos.  By  Otto  Schmoller.  Translated  and  enlarged  by  Rev.  Talbot  W 
Chambers,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  New  York. 

5.  Obadiah.  By  Rev.  Paul  Kleinert,  Professor  of  Old  Testament  Theology  in  the 
University  of  Berlin.  Translated  and  enlarged  by  Rev.  George  R.  Bliss,  D.  D.,  Professor 
in  the  University  of  Lewisburg,  Pennsylvania. 

6.  Jonah.  By  Prof.  Paul  Kleinert,  of  the  University  of  Berlin.  Translated  and  en- 
larged by  Rev.  Charles  Elliott,  Professor  of  Biblical  Exegesis  in  Chicago.' 

7.  Micah.  By  Prof.  Paul  Kleinert,  of  Berlin,  and  Prof.  George  R.  Bliss,  of  Lewie- 
burg. 

8.  Nahum.  By  Prof.  Paul  Kleinert,  of  Berlin,  and  Prof.  Charles  Elliott,  of 
Chicago. 

9.  Habakkuk.     By  Professors  Kleinert  and  Elliott. 

1  Obadjah,  Jonah,  Mieha,  Nahum,  Habakuk,  Zephanjah.  Wissenshqfllieh  undfUr  den  Oebraueh  der  Kireht  ausgeUgt  VOM 
Paul  Eixinkbt,  Pfarrer  zu  St.  Gertraud  und  a.  Professor  art  der  UniversitiU  zu  Berlin.  Bielefeld  a.  Leipzig,  1868.  —  Di* 
Propheten  Hoxea,  Joel  und  Amos.  TheologiseK-homiietisch  bearbeitet  von  Ono  SoHHOIUUt,  Licent.  der  Theologie,  Diaeonut 
m  Urach.  Bielef.  und  Leipzig,  1872. 

2  Ttie  commentary  of  Rev.  W.  Psbbsel  on  these  three  Prophets  (Die  naehtxHiseken  Propheten,  Gotha,  1870)  waa 
originally  prepared  for  Lange's  Bible-work,  bnt  was  rejected  by  Dr.  Lange  mainly  on  account  of  Pressel's  views  on  tiia 
genuineness  and  integrity  of  Zechariah.  It  was,  however,  independently  publisbed,  and  was  made  use  of,  like  othv 
eommentaries,  by  the  authors  of  the  respective  sections  in  this  volume. 

S  Dr.  Elliott  desires  to  render  his  acknowledgments  to  the  Rev.  Reuben  Dederiok,  of  Chicago,  and  the  Bar.  Jaeok 
liOtke,  of  Faribault,  Minnesota,  for  valoable  assistance  in  translatinit  some  difficult  paasages  in  Kleiiwrfl  OommentailM 
■o  Jonah,  Nabum,  and  Habakkuk. 


PREFACE  BY   THE   GENERAL  EDIT((R. 


10.  Zephaniah.     By  Professors  Kleinert  and  Elliott. 

11.  Haggai.     By  James  Frederick  McCurdy,  M.  A.,  Princeton.  N.  J. 

12.  Zechariaf  By  Rev.  Talbot  W.  Chambers,  D.  D.,  New  York.  (See  special 
preface.) 

13.  Malachi.  By  Rev.  Joseph  Packard,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in 
the  Theological  Semiimry  at  Alexandria,  Virginia. 

The  contributors  to  this  volume  were  directed  carefully  to  consult  the  entire  ancient  and 
modern  literature  on  the  Minor  Prophets  and  to  enrich  it  with  the  latest  results  of  Grerman 
and  Anglo-American  scholarship. 

The  remaining  parts  of  the  Old  Testament  are  all  under  way,  and  will  be  published  ai 
fast  as  the  nature  of  the  work  will  permit. 

PHILIP   SCHAFF. 

Djnos  THsotaaroM   Sbmwa'^'j,  Nrw  You.  .  ^n•Mlry,  1874. 


THu: 


BOOK    OF   AMOS 


EXPOUISTDED 


BT 

/ 


OTTO  SCHMOLLER,  P..  D 

DBACH,  WURTSHBIBa. 


TRANSLATED  AND  ENLARGMJ} 


TALBOT  W.  CHAMBERS,  D.  D., 

not  PABTOKS  OF  THB   COLLKGIATK  BEFORMKD  DUTCH  OHTBCH,    BBW    TOXK 


NEW   YORK: 
CHARLES     SCRIBNER'S     SONS, 


btered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874^  bf 

ScRiBMER,  Armstrong,  and  Company, 
Im  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washingtoa. 


THE  PROPHET  AMOS. 


INTRODUCTION. 


§  1.    The  Personal  Relations  of  Amos. 

Of  these  we  know  more  than  we  do  in  the  case  of  Hosea  and  of  Joel,  and  that,  not  merely 
from  the  superscription,  the  originality  of  which  needs  yet  to  be  established,  but  also  from 
the  prophet's  own  words  (chap.  vii.  10-15).  First  of  all  occurs  the  name,  Ditt^.  It  may 
be  mentioned  in  passing  that  the  fathers,  ignorant  of  Hebrew,  confounded  this  name  with 
\^i^M,  that  of  the  father  of  Isaiah,  and  supposed  the  two  persons  to  be  one  and  the  same  ;  but 
Jerome  denied  the  assertion.  The  meaningof^thejiajneisuncertain,  perhaps  =  Bearer^or 
Heavy.  His  home  was  certainly,  according  to  ch.  vii.  10  il'.,  intHe  kingdom  of  JffdaE^  He 
labored  indeed  in  Ephraim,  but  this  was  considered  strange  by  Araaziah,  who  reproved  it  as 
an  insoleuL  uudurtaking  and  bade  him  escape  to  Judah,  so  that  manifestly,  he  did  uoC  reside 
in  Bethel  nor  anywhere  in  Israel.  The  superscription  puts  his  residence  in  Tekoa,  a  town 
in  the  tribe  of  Judah,  often  mentioned  elsewhere  in  the  Old  Testament  (2  Sam.  xiv.  2 ;  2 
Chron.  xi.  6,  xx.  20  ;  Jer.  vi.  1  ;  also  1  Mac.  ix.  33),  and  said  by  Jerome  to  be  some  miles 
south  of  Bethlehem,  where  its  ruins  are  still  preserved  in  the  modern  name  of  Tekua. 

Here,  according  to  ch.  vii.  14,  Amos  was  a  "'f^'i^,  which  naturally,  according  to  its  deri- 
vation, means  herdman.  Bvt  the  15th  verse  states  that  Jehovah  took  him  from  followini^ 
^^5!Jn,  and  this  word  signihes  sheep  and  goats  in  distinction  from  neat-cattle,  so  that  the 
term  herdman  must  be  considered  as  used  in  a  wide  sense  and  including  a  shepherd's  office. 
This  is  confirmed  by  the  account  of  Tekoa  given  by  Jerome,  who  knew  the  holy  land  from 
personal  observation,  and  whose  statements  in  his  preface  to  our  prophet,  are  therefore  not 
to  be  regarded  as  mere  inferences  from  this  passage.  He  says  that  the  country  was  sandy 
and  barren,  and  therefore  full  of  shepherds  who  made  amends  for  its  failure  to  yield  crops  by 
the  number  of  their  flocks.  That  there  were  many  shepherds  in  tlie  place  is  indicated  by 
the  title,  in  its  saying  that  Amos  was  •'  among  the  2''"Tf7'i3  of  Tekoa  "  (rip;^Jp  meaning,  per- 
haps, those  who  had  gone  oni  from  Tekoa  to  more  distant  pastures).  The  term  ipiD  occurs 
besiHps  this  place  only  in  2  Kings  iii.  4.  where  it  is  applied  to  the  Monhiti'^h  kin^,  Meshah, 
who  in  this  capacity  paid  to  the  king  of  Israel  a  yearly  tribute  of  1 00,000  lambs,  and  as  many 
rams.  Accordingly  it  signifies  a  sheep-master.  We  may  therefore  regard  Amos  as  aa 
owner  of  flocks,  but  by  no  means  as  a  wealthy  sheep-owner.  This  is  determined  by  what  he 
says  of  himself  (ch.  vii.  14,  16),  according  to  which  he  was  a  shepherd,  and  took  care  of 
the  sheep,  even  if  they  were  his  own.  But  this  phrase  "  among  the  shepherds  of  Tekoah," 
may  refer  merely  to  his  residence,  and  so  indicate  his  employment  while  he  was  living 
nmong  these  persons.  He  further  calls  himself  CT^PttJ  obis.  one  who  cultivated  syca- 
mores for  his  support.  This  tree  by  its  sweet  fruit  (Pliny,  iV.  H.,  xiii.  14,  calls  it  prcedulcis) 
which  it  bears  abundantly,  afforded  to  a  shepherd  living  in  the  open  country  a  nutriment 
both  ample  ani  easily  provided.  So  that  Amos  had  a  competent  support,  although  he  waa 
not  rich.  Accordingly,  in  ch.  vii.  12,  etc.,  he  rejects  the  summons  to  go  to  Judah  and  eat 
his  bread  there,  on  the  ground  that  he  did  not  prophesy  for  bread  but  had  a  competency  of 
his  own,  implying  also  perhaps  that  as  a  shepherd  he  was  satisfied  with  simple  fare. 

Here  now  as  he  abode  among  his  flocks  the  call  of  the  Lord  reached  him  to  prophesy  con- 
'^erning  Israel.  For  he  says  expressly  that  he  was  neither  a  prophet  nor  a  prophet's  son, 
i.  e.,  a  pupil  of  the  prophets,  which  excludes   any  thought  of  a  schoo^    in  which  he  had  pre- 


4:  AMOS. 

pared  himself  for  the  work,  or  even  that  he  had  assumed  it  as  a  calling.  In  obedience  to  the 
summons  he  repaired  to  Bethel,  the  chief  seat  of  the  idol  worship,  in  order  to  announce  to 
the  careless  people  the  divine  judgment.  There  the  priest  Amaziah  sought  to  drive  hiui 
away,  as  a  seditious  person.  But  he  boldly  resisted,  and  made  his  threatening  still  morti 
severe.  It  is  not  stated  whether  he  then  went  away  or  whether  he  continued  his  prophetic 
function.  All  that  we  further  know  of  him  is  that  his  discourses  were  reduced  to  writing 
Later  traditions  of  his  martyrdom  have  no  historical  value. 


§  2.    The  Age  of  the  Prophet. 

This  in  substance  is  well  settled.  For  the  book  itself  names  Jeroboam  (II.)  as  the  king 
under  whom  Amos  prophesied  in  Bethel.  This  king  ascended  the  throne  in  the  fifteenth  of  the 
twenty-nine  years'  reign  of  Amaziah,  king  of  Judah  ;  and  reigned  forty-one  years.  He  was 
therefore  fourteen,  years  contemporary  with  Amaziah,  and  twenty-seven  years  with  his  suc- 
cessor Uzziah.  yThe  title  puts  Amos  in  the  last  two  thirds  of  Jeroboam's  reign,  since  it 
represents  him  as  prophesying  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam  and  Uzziah,  i.  e.,  while  they  were 
contemporary;  and  this  is  confirmed  by  the  statement  in  ch.  ix.  12  that  "the  remnant  of 
Edom  should  be  possessed,"  indicating  that  the  Edomite  capital,  Selah,  had  already  been  con- 
quered, which  took  place  under  Uzziah's  father  Amaziah  (2  Kings  xiv.  7).  \,  The  time  of  the 
prophet's  activity  cannot  be  more  closely  defined  within  these  twenty-seven  years  ;  only  it  is 
certain  that  it  did  not  extend  over  the  whole  period,  but  was  confined  to  a  certain  occasion. 
The  title  indicates  this  by  the  note  —  "  two  years  before  the  earthquake."  This  would  give 
us  the  precise  date,  if  only  we  knew  the  time  of  the  earthquake;  but  this  not  being  the  case, 
we  gain  nothing  by  the  statement.  It  only  confirms  the  view  that  Amos  prophesied  in  the 
reign  of  Uzziah,  for  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  this  earthquake  was  the  same  with 
the  one  mentioned  in  Zechariah  xiv.  5,  which  is  there  said  to  have  occurred  under  UzziaKK 
(As  to  the  object  of  this  note,  see  below,  ch.  i.  1.) 

Amos  was  somewhat  earlier  than  Hosea,  but  still  the  latter  was  his  contemporary,  and 
carried  on  his  work  (undoubtedly  using  his  materials,  see  below)  of  announcing  judgment 
upon  Ephraim,  in  a  still  more  threatening  manner  and  with  a  clearer  indication  that  As- 
syria was  to  be  the  instrument  of  this  judgment.  On  the  other  hand,  Amos  was  younger 
than  Joel,  whose  writings  were  known  to  him  when  he  composed  his  own,  since  he  expressly 
refers  to  them,  adopting  Joel's  words  in  his  commencement  (ch.  i.  2),  and  leaning  ujjon  theia 
in  the  promise  with  which  he  concludes  (ch.  ix.  13). 

The  period  of  Amos's  ministry  was  one  of  great  external  prosperity  for  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  Under  Jeroboam  II.  it  stood  at  the  zenith  of  its  power.  Compare  the  picture  of  the 
rich  who  seek  only  the  increase  of  their  wealth  and  luxury,  and  feel  so  entirely  secure. 
Certainly,  as  this  picture  directly  shows,  there  was  under  this  outward  pomp  and  prosperity 
a  deep  moral  decay  which  stood  in  close  connection  with  the  apostasy  from  pure  religion. 
In  Judah  the  case  was  different,  but  even  there  matters  had  become  worse  since  the  time  of 
Joel.  For  Amos  openly  complains  of  a  contempt  of  God's  law  and  an  inclination  to  idolatry, 
of  which  we  find  no  trace  in  Joel.  Israel,  however, Jiad  sunk  deepjn  corruption,  y^tjioj)nt, 
either  perceived  or  was  willing  to  leanToTanylTaiiger,  all  were  in  careless  security.  No  po- 
litical  signs  indicated  any  daimer  from  a  foreign  foe.  The  Assyrians,  indeed,  attracted  atlen 
tion,  but  there  was  no  probability  that  they  would  endanger  the  kingdom.  It  was  too  strong 
for  that.  And  as  to  the  danger  resulting  from  inward  moral  decay,  that  was  not  appre- 
hended, because  men  either  disbelieved  in  a  retributive,  sin-avenging  righteousness,  or  else 
excluded  the  thought  of  it  from  their  minds.  At  this  time  the  simple  shepherd  of  Tekoa  was 
sent  into  the  kingdom  of  Israel  to  announce  to  it,  and  especially  to  the  house  of  Jeroboam, 
God's  judgment  and  their  own  downfall,  as  he  says,  ch.  vii.  15.  Any  one  who  had  a  living 
faith  in  God  and  therefore  in  a  divine  retribution,  might  well  conclude  from  a  glance  at  the 
■lefection  from  a  true  faith  and  worship  and  the  prevailing  moral  corruption,  that  such  a 
people  and  kingdom  were  on  the  downward  road  and  would  fixre  ill.  But  it  was  a  long  step 
from  this  to  the  public  announcement  of  a  certain  overthrow  by  a  foreign  conqueror.  Jus 
this  is  found  in  Amos ;  he  does  not  indeed  name  the  foe,  but  no  one  can  mistake  who  is 
meant.  Thus  he  showed  himself  possessed  of  a  special  revelation  from  God,  as  he  expressly 
said  in  ch.  vii.  15.  Although  no  one  thought  particularly  of  Assyria,  for  which  reason  ht 
does  not  name  it,  still  he  already  saw  in  that  kingdom  the  instrument  of  God\<  ver^jeance 
wid  so  declared. 


INTRODUCTION. 


§  3.  The  Book  of  the  Prophet. 

Under  the  name  of  this  prophet  we  have  a  prophetic  writing  in  nine  chapters,  contain- 
ing chiefly  threatenings  against  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  to  which,  on  account  of  its  prevail- 
ing grievous  sins,  it  announces  a  grievous  infliction,  even  overthrow  by  a  hostile  nation. 
Still  the  book  is  not  limited  to  threatenings  against  Israel,  but  at  least  begins  with  threats 
upon  the  surrounding  heathen,  and  then,  like  a  genuine  prophetic  book,  concludes  with 
the  promise  of  a  new  deliverance  for  Israel  and  a  splendid  prosperity  under  the  house  of 
David. 

Entering  more  into  detail,  we  are  to  consider  — 

iN.Ihe  first  and  second  chapters  as  a  sort  of  introduction  to  the  particular  subject. 

The  second  verse  of  chap.  i.  repeats  a  menace  contained  in  Joel  iv.  16,  and  then  the  na- 
tions around  Israel  are  taken  up  in  order,  first  the  heathen,  Damascus  (i.  3-5),  Philistia 
(6-8),  Tyre  (9-10),  Edom  (11,  12),  Ammon  (13-15),  Moab  (ii.  1-3),  and  then  Judah  (4-5), 
against  each  of  which  the  divine  wrath  is  announced  in  short,  similar  sentences,  even  "for 
three  transgressions  and  for  four,"  and  is  executed  by  "  kindling  a  fire  "  in  their  capitals. 
Then  the  threatening  turns  to  Israel,  at  first  in  the  same  phrase  as  before,  but  soon  at  greater 
length.  There  is  a  fuller  detail  of  the  prevailing  sins,  oppression  of  the  poor,  and  lascivious 
luxury,  together  with  a  gross  contempt  for  God's  favors  toward  them  as  his  people  (6-12)  ; 
and  a  fuller  announcement  of  punishment,  namely,  complete  subjugation  under  an  invading 
foe  (13-16).  It  is  thus  evident  that  the  previous  denunciations  were  intended  only  to  pave 
the  way  for  this  one,  and  that  Israel  was  especially  aimed  at,  for  which  reason  the  prophet 
dwells  on  their  case.  Still  the  threatening  is  here  only  introduced,  and  the  judgment  is 
declared  merely  in  general  terms  ;  the  form  of  its  fulfillment  can  only  be  conjectured.     , 

2.  The  special  charges  and  threats  follow  in  chaps,  iii.-vi.  This  division  contains  four 
discourses,  —  the  first  three  of  which  begin  with  a  "  Hear  this  word  "  —  in  which  the  king- 
dom of  Israel,  especially  tlie  great  men,  on  account  of  the  prevailing  sins,  are  threatened 
with  a  divine  judgment  in  the  shape  of  the  destruction  of  palaces  and  sanctuaries,  the  over- 
throw of  the  kingdom,  and  the  carrying  away  of  the  people,  unless  by  seeking  the  Lord 
they  seize  the  only  hope  of  deliverance. 

(a.)  In  chap.  iii.  the  chief  thought  is  manifestly  that  there  should  be  no  doubt  about  the 
coming  of  the  judgment,  since  the  prophet  who  bore  Jehovah's  commission  could  not  speak 
in  vain, 

(b.)  Chap.  iv.  bases  the  assurance  of  punishment  on  the  fact  that  all  previous  visitations 
of  God  had  been  to  no  purpose-,  since  repentance  had  not  ensued.  The  judgment  therefore 
must  come. 

(c.)  In  chap.  v.  we  hear  the  outcry  at  approaching  calamity,  intermingled  with  calls  to 
seek  the  Lord  and  love  the  good,  as  the  only  means  of  escape.  It  concludes  with  a  woe 
pronounced  upon  those  who  desire  the  day  of  the  Lord,  which  yet  for  them  must  be  a  day 
of  terror,  since  all  idolatiy  is  an  abomination  to  hiai.      Then  is  added  in  — 

(d.)  Chap,  vi.,  a  woe  upon  those  who  on  the  contrary  fancy  the  day  of  the  Lord  to  be  far 
oflf  and  therefore  persevere  in  their  frivolity  until  the  judgment  ovei-takes  •  them  by  means 
of  a  people  whom  the  Lord  will  raise  up. 

After  these  discourses  about  punishment  comes  a  new  division,  — 

3.  Chaps,  vii.-ix.,  in  which  the  prophet  recounts  certain  visions  in  which  he  has  seen  the 
fate  of  Israel,  interspersed  with  historical  details  and  threats  of  punishment,  but  at  last 
passing  into  the  promise  of  a  new  deliverance  and  prosperity  for  Israel. 

(a).  Chap.  vii.  First,  the  prophet  has  two  visions  of  punishment  by  Locusts  and  by  Fire, 
which,  however,  are  averted  at  his  intercession.  So  much  the  more  does  the  third  vision,  of 
the  Plumb-line,  show  the  downfall  of  the  kingdom,  and  especially  of  the  house  of  Jeroboam 
to  be  irreversible  (1-9).  The  result  of  this  announcement  is  that  the  priest  Amaziah  com- 
plains of  Amos  to  the  king  and  proposes  his  banishment.  But  Amos  boldly  meets  him, 
affirms  the  divine  call  under  which  he  was  acting,  and  utters  a  still  sharper  threat,  aimed 
especially  at  the  priest. 

(b.)  Chap.  viii.  A  fourth  vision  represents  the  ripeness  of  the  people  for  judgment 
ander  the  image  of  a  basket  of  ripe  fruit.  Then  the  prophet  commences  with  "  Hear  this ' 
(as  in  chaps,  iii.,  iv.,  v.),  a  denunciation  of  the  sins  of  the  higher  classes,  who  are  threat" 
aned  with  the  sore  srief  of  a  famine  of  hearintr  the  word  of  the  Lord. 


i>  AMOS. 

(c.)  lu  a  fifth  vision  the  prophet  see?  under  the  image  of  an  overthrow  of  the  temple  (at 
Hethel)  which  buries  all  in  its  ruins,  the  utter  ruin  of  the  kingdom  by  a  divine  judgment 
which  none  can  escape  ;  since  God  is  almighty  and  Israel  is  not  a  whit  better  than  the 
heathen  (i.  7).  Yet  God  will  not  destroy  it  entirely,  but  sift  it  by  destroying  all  the  sinners 
at  ease,  and  then  raise  again  David's  fallen  tent  to  a  new  glory.  Thus  the  book  concludes 
with  the  promise  of  a  new  deliverance  under  the  house  of  David,  when  Israel  will  be  richly 
blessed,  and  made  as  great  and  powerful  as  ever  before,  and  never  again  be  driven  out  of 
fhe  land. 

That  the  book  whose  contents  are  thus  outlined  forms  one  complete  whole,  can  scarcely 
be  disputed.  But  to  press  the  inquiry  closer,  it  is  at  once  evident  that  chaps,  i.  and  ii.  are 
intimately  connected,  and  in  like  manner  chaps,  iii.-vi.  belong  together.  But  that  the  latter 
division  concurs  with  the  former  to  make  one  whole  is  equally  clear.  A  menace  of  judg- 
ment upon  Israel  could  not  possibly  be  satisfied  with  what  is  said  in  ii.  13-16,  for  in  that 
case  there  would  be  no  definiteness  and  certainty  as  to  what  Israel  was  to  expect.  The 
further  statements  in  the  following  discourses  are  a  matter  of  necessity.  Moreover,  a  com- 
parison of  ii.  6-8  with  iii.  9,  10,  v.  7,  11,  vi.  4,  shows  a  striking  similarity  between  the  sins 
censured  in  both  cases.  The  unity  of  the  first  six  chapters  is  then  established.  As  to  chaps, 
vii.-ix.,  no  argument  is  needed  to  show  their  mutual  coherence.  But  the  question  arises, 
whether  they  did  not  originally  form  an  independent  whole  which  a  subsequent  editor  ap- 
pended to  the  foregoing,  or  conversely  made  the  foregoing  a  preface  to  it.  There  is  much 
to  favor  its  independent  character.  It  difiers  from  what  precedes,  both  in  matter  as  con- 
taining visions,  and  in  form,  as  the  prophet  speaks  in  the  first  person.  Notwithstanding,  its 
close  connection  —  at  least  in  the  state  in  which  we  now  have  it  —  with  chaps,  i.-vi.,  is 
unquestionable.  The  chief  evidence  of  this  seems  to  me  to  lie  in  chap.  viii.  4  seq.;  which 
bears  an  unmistakable  relation  to  what  is  already  found  in  chaps,  iii.-vi.  The  reproof  is 
the  same  in  both.  Compare  the  introductory  words  "  Hear  ye  ;  "  the  censure  of  sins  in  viii. 
4,  etc.,  with  ch.  ii.  6,  etc,  and  ch.  v.  11,  12;  and  also,  the  announcement  of  judgment  in 
viii.  10  with  ch.  v.  15.  So  close  is  the  correspondence  that  one  might  be  tempted  to  think 
that  the  latter  passages  were  a  subsequent  insertion,  which  of  course  would  destroy  the  ar- 
gument for  the  original  coherence  of  the  whole.  But  we  can  hardly  assume  this  theory  of 
insertion  by  an  editor,  simply  because  the  words,  viii.  4,  etc.,  are  somewhat  abrupt  and  do 
not  seem  to  be  exactly  in  their  place.  If  an  alteration  were  made,  we  should  suppose  they 
would  have  been  taken  away  from  their  present  place  and  joined  to  the  foregoing  passages, 
to  which  they  seem  more  suited.  Here  applies  the  critical  canon  that  the  more  difficult 
reading  is  to  be  preferred.  But  then  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  conclusion,  (ix.  11,  etc.,) 
undeniably  reechoes  the  conclusion  of  Joel,  and  still  more  does  ch.  i.  2  connect  itself  with 
Joel.  This  fact  shows  beyond  mistake  that  our  book  in  its  present  state  originated  from  one 
hand,  and  farther,  since  its  beginning  and  its  end  are  original,  integral  elements  proceeding 
from  the  author  himself,  that  we  must  consider  the  book  as  a  complete  whole,  as  certainly 
so^repared  by  its  author. 

X  if  this  be  so,  it  follows  that  the  prophet  Amos,  who  in  chap.  vii.  speaks  of  himself  in  the 
first  person,  Is  necessarily  the  composer  not  merely  of  the  account  of  these  visions,  but  also 
of  the  whole  book.  If  at  first  we  understood  from  the  superscription  that  the  suhstnr.ce  of 
these  utterances  proceeded  from  Amos,  much  more  must  we  suppose  that  they  were  reduced 
to  writing  and  united  with  the  foregoing  books  by  him ;  and  we  must  consider  the  super- 
scription as  prefixed  to  this,  as  it  undoubtedly  will,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  considered. 
That  he  who  In  ch.  vii.  says  "  I "  is  no  other  than  Amos,  is  jihvin  from  verse  10,  etc.,  where 
he  is  so  called,  but  that  he  is  here  spoken  of  in  the  third  person  is  no  evidence  that  he  is 
not  the  author.  Of  the  portions  marked  with  the  "  I,"  both  preceding  and  following,  he  is 
certainly  such,-'^t  we  need  not  for  that  reason  consider  the  intervening  passage  vii.  10-17 
as  inserted  by  another;  for  Hosea,  in  the  beginning  of  his  prophecy,  in  the  poi'tion  (chap, 
i.  2)  whicli  undoubtedly  is  his  own,  also  speaks  of  himself  in  the  third  person.  Besides, 
the  transition  to  the  third  person  here  is  altogether  simple  and  natural,  since  he  was  repeat- 
ing what  Amaziah  charged  against  him.  And  having  thus  spoken,  he  continues  in  the  same 
manner  in  the  12th  and  13th  vers(!s.  Moreover,  since  the  subject  relates  to  the  personal 
experiences  of  the  prophet,  there  is  the  less  reason  for  considering  it  another's  inturpolatiou 
in  a  writing  the  rest  of  which  was  composed  by  Amos.  No,  it  is  Amos  alone  who  relate* 
what  befell  him  in  his  prophesying,  and  then  speaks  of  his  origin  and  his  mission,  and  after 
iraxds  utters  a  new  menace  ajjainst  Amaziah.      And  this  is  not  added  as  a  mere  matter  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


tistory,  but  the  account  of  the  occurrence  with  Amaziah  bears  so  directly  upon  this  speech 
to  him  that  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  the  author  of  the  one  is  the  author  of  the  other,  i.  e^ 
that  the  prophet  himself,  and  no  one  else,  has  produced  the  whole.  In  favor  of  Amos's  au- 
thorship is  the  style,  in  which  are  manifold  reminiscences  of  a  pastoral  life.  (See  below.) 
In  the  first  instance,  this  proves  only  that  the  separate  discourses  came  fi'om  Amos,  but  not 
that  he  composed  the  whole.  But  since  after  what  has  been  said  the  theory  of  its  compila- 
tion by  a  third  person  is  inadmissible,  the  argument  for  Amos  as  the  author  is  greatly 
strengthened  by  these  peculiarities  of  language.  Besides,  we  could  not  properly  speak  of 
"  Discourses  of  Amos  "  which  another  person  has  collected  together,  but  the  book  in  its 
present  form  is  to  be  considered  as  an  original  composition  of  its  author,  based  upon  the 
"  discourses  "  he  had  delivered  orally. 

J  This  leads  to  the  question  concerning  the  precise  origin  of  the  book,  —  which  is  not  an- 
.^Vwered  by  determining  that  it  is  a  consistent  whole  and  was  the  work  of  Amos.     For  here, 

\more  than  in  the  other  prophets,  do  we  need  to  understand  the  relation  of  the  book  to  the 

/public,  oral  activity  of  the  prophet. 

A  public  and  therefore  oral  announcement  of  prophecies  against  Israel  is  expressly  ascribed 
to  Amos.  Just  for  this  purpose  he  who  was  originally  a  herdsman  came  forth  as  a  prophet. 
The  question  is,  What  were  those  oral  prophecies,  and  how  were  they  related  to  our  book  ? 
Ewald  and  Baur  assume  that  chaps,  vii.— ix.  10,  contain  what  was  originally  said  at  Bethel, 
and  that  the  first  part,  chaps,  i.-vi.  and  the  Messianic  conclusion,  are  only  a  written  state- 
ment, devised  by  Amos  after  his  return  from  Bethel  to  Judah,  in  order  to  make  his  utter- 
ances effective  for  a  wider  circle.  This  view  is  quite  plausible  :  for  thus  is  most  easily  ex- 
plained the  difference  in  form  between  the  first  part  and  the  second,  and  also,  the  singular 
interruption  of  the  prophecies  by  a  historical  narration,  ch.  vii.  10,  etc.  One  is  inclined, 
besides,  to  think  that  the  herdsman  of  Tekoah  first  received  in  the  form  of  visions  the  divine 
revelation  and  the  command,  "  Go,  prophesy  to  my  people  Israel  "  (vii.  15)  ;  and  that  the 
longer  discourses  are  an  afterthought  belonging  to  the  written  statement.  But  even  if,  as 
we  shall  see,  there  is  some  weight  in  the  latter  consideration,  still  we  cannot  accept  the 
entire  view  as  correct.  The  report  of  the  three  visions  in  chap,  vii.,  of  which  two  contained 
the  prophet's  intercession  and  a  consequent  respite  of  judgment,  and  only  the  third  was  a 
pure  menace,  could  not  possibly  have  provoked  the  interference  of  Amaziah  against  the 
prophet.  He  speaks  of  "  all  his  words  "  which  the  land  is  not  able  to  bear,  and  gives  a 
summary  of  them  in  the  11th  verse.  But  manifestly  he  here  states  only  the  point  to  which 
the  words  of  Amos  in  verse  9  seemed  to  him  to  tend,  and  which  iu  his  view  proved  that  he 
was  aiming  at  a  conspiracy.  But  the  language  of  the  priest  presupposes  that  the  prophet 
had  spoken  much  more  than  the  single  menace  contained  iu  the  third  vision.  Or  may  we 
assume  that,  even  if  these  visions  contain  all  that  was  then  said  in  Bethel,  he  had  yet  for- 
merly declared  there  the  other  visions  recorded  in  chaps,  viii.  and  ix.,  betbre  Amaziah  came 
forward  against  him  ?  His  coming  forward  would  then  be  accounted  for.  But — as  Baur 
himself  rightly  emphasizes,  though  to  prove  the  opposite  —  it  is  not  consistent  to  regard  as 
supposititious  the  passage  which  now  contains  the  historical  narrative  (verse  10  ff'.),  because 
it  is  not  conceivable  that  it  should  have  been  interpolated  here,  where  at  first  it  seems  to 
make  confusion,  unless  it  had  originally  belonged  just  tp  this  place.  This  being  so,  "  all  the 
words  which  the  land  was  not  able  to  bear  "  must  be  found  iu  the  preceding  chapters.  And 
there  is  the  less  objection  to  this,  since  among  the  discourses  certainly  made  iu  Bethel,  there 
is  one  (ch.  viii.  4  tt".)  which,  as  was  before  said,  is  closely  related  to  the  discourses  in  the 
first  part. 

As  there  ai-e  no  external  grounds  for  limiting  the  discourses  at  Bethel  to  chap,  vii.,  so 
there  are  no  internal  reasons.  For  there  is  here  merely  a  threatening  of  punishment,  but 
no  mention  of  sin  as  the  cause  of  the  judgment,  except  ch.  viii.  4-G,  and  still  less  any  call  to 
repentance,  founded  either  upon  God's  mercies  to  Israel,  especially  the  divine  ca'l  of  the  na- 
tion, or  upon  earlier  warnings  and  visitations.  Yet  without  this  we  cannc'  jonceive  of  a 
prophetic  menace  of  punishment.  Even  had  the  prophet  begun  with  pure  '"hreatening,  yet 
this  must  afterwards  at  least  have  been  accompanied  with  explanations  and  reasons  ;  but,  as 
has  been  said,  these  are  almost  entirely  wanting  in  ch.  vii.  ff".  But  they  occur  in  the  first 
part,  and  therefore  the  threatening  visions  in  the  second  part  certainly  presuppose  the  exists 
ence  of  the  former.  Moreover,  I  think  the  traces  of  oral  speech  in  the  discourses  of  the  first 
part  can  hardly  be  mistaken  ;  e.  g.,  in  ch.  iv.  the  mention  of  former  visitations  and  their  in- 
efficacv  —  "  vet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me  ;  "  or  in  ch.  v.,  the  warnings :  "  Seek  tha 


8  AMOS. 

Lord;"  or  the  reproach  of  empty  formal  worship,  ver.  21,  etc.  The  references  to  Joel  also, 
t.  g.y  ch.  V.  18,  may  -well  have  belonged  to  the  oral  utterances.  On  the  other  hand,  we  nat- 
urally do  not  find  in  our  oook,  Amos's  oral  addresses  either  in  substance  or  form  as  they 
were  originally  delivered.  It  was  only  the  essential  portion  which  he  reduced  to  writing, 
and  the  form  manifestly  belongs  to  the  prophecy  only  as  written.  It  is  vain  therefore  to 
attempt  now  to  distinguish  the  particular  portions  that  were  spoken.  They  are  merged  in 
a  new  composition  prepared  in  a  free  independent  manner.  But  while  they  furnish  the  prin- 
cipal points  treated,  manifestly  it  is  to  the  written  statement  that  we  owe  the  introduction 
in  chaps,  i.  and  ii.,  so  far  at  least  as  foreign  nations  are  concerned,  therefore  as  far  as  ii.  5,  and 
in  like  manner  the  concluding  promise  of  a  new  deliverance  in  ix.  11. 

The  threatenings  in  ch.  i.  against  other  nations  pave  the  way  to  the  chief  theme,  the  an- 
nouncements of  wrath  against  IsraelT  And  then  again  these  announcements  to  Israel  pave 
the^^way  t(f  the  promise  "of  a  new  gracious  visitation  by  which  God  will  show  that  Israel  is 
BtiHTjis  people. 

This  leads  us  to  consider  the  aim  and  motive  of  the  preparation  of  our  book.  Its  funda- 
mental thought,  the  appearance  of  Amos  at  Bethel  with  his  testimony  against  Israel,  does 
not  explain  why  it  was  written.  It  furnished  indeed  the  chief  materials,  but  had  the  writ- 
ing intended  only  to  preserve  these  from  being  lost,  it  would  have  simply  reproduced  them 
in  a  somewhat  free  form ;  but  it  had  also  another  aim  of  its  own,  and  to  reach  this  availed 
itself  of  the  oral  utterances  without  confining  itself  to  them.  The  appearance  of  Amos  as 
a  prophet  of  wrath  to  Israel  is  sufficiently  explained  by  the  commission,  "  Go,  prophecy 
to  my  people,  Israel,"  but  not  his  appearance  as  the  author  of  our  book.  To^inderstand 
this  we  must  fix  our  eyes  upon  the  portions  not  belonging  to  his  personal  ministry,  —  the  in- 
troduction and  conclusion,  and  especially  the  references  to  Joel's  writings.  Since  Amos 
begins  his  book  with  the  menace  announced  by  Joel  in  iv.  16,  and  concludes  it  with  a  prom- 
ise like  that  of  Joel  in  Iv.  18,  his  whole  prophecy,  as  it  were,  falls  between  these  two  verses 
and  is  framed  out  of  Joel's  menace  and  Joel's  promise.  Joel,  as  we  have  before  shown, 
knew  only  of  a  divine  judgment  upon  the  heathen  in  the  Lord's  day  for  the  deliverance  and 
exaltation  of  Judah,  for  when  he  afterwards  saw  the  latter  threatened  with  a  judgment,  he 
also  saw  it  averted  by  repentance.  This  writing  of  Joel  was  widely  diffused.  But  grad- 
ually its  terms  came  to  be  perverted,  and  its  promise  of  salvation  was  made  a  pretext  for 
careless  security  (see  ver.  18,  where  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  regarded  as  necessarily  a  day 
of  salvation  for  Israel).  Even  among  those  who  highly  prized  the  prophets,  the  non-arrival 
of  the  threatened  day  of  the  Lord  with  its  judgment  upon  the  heathen,  and  consequently 
the  non-arrival  of  the  glorious  salvation  for  Israel  after  that  judgment,  might  awaken  a 
mistrust  of  the  prophetic  declarations,  and  even  indifference  and  unbelief  (cf.  Baur,  pp.  61, 
113).  Therefore  Amos  now  confirms  Joel's  prophecy  and  at  the  same  time  extends  it  in 
accordance  with  the  altered  circumstances.  Both  Joel's  threatening  and  his  promise  remain 
true,  but  no  longer  so  separated  that  the  former  applies  only  to  the  heathen,  and  the  latter 
to  Israel  because  of  their  repentance.  The  threatening  remains  true  against  Israel's  foes, 
the  heathen,  nay,  in  chaps,  i.,  ii.  5  is  executed,  cf.  "  I  will  not  turn  it  away ;  "  but  certainly 
this  is  no  longer  the  prominent  feature.  Judah  itself  has  become  guilty,  is  filled  with  idol- 
atry, and  is  therefore  threatened  with  a  divine  judgment.  Especially  in  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  to  which  Joel  does  not  allude,  has  sinful  corruption  reached  so  high  a  point  that  the 
herdsman  of  Tekoah  is  expressly  commissioned  to  announce  God's  wrath  to  this  large  divis- 
ion of  the  covenant  people.  So  Uttle  justification  had  Israel  for  their  carnal  confidence  in 
their  divine  vocation  upon  the  ground  of  Joel's  prediction  of  a  judgment  upon  their  foes, 
so  far  was  his  threatening  of  the  Lord's  day  of  judgment  from  passing  away,  that  it  would 
certainly  come  to  pass,  only  in  a  broader  range  and  still  more  incisively,  since  the  Lord 
would  enter  into  judgment  with  his  degenerate  people,  —  which  even  Joel  had,  according  to 
chaps,  i.  and  ii.,  considered  not  improbable,  and  even  had  feared  for  Judah,  although  the  d» 
generacy  there  was  not  so  great  as  in  Israel,  but  now  thought  that  it  was  averted  by  serioua 
repentance.  But  as  Joel's  threatening  remains  true,  so  also  does  his  promise  for  Israel, 
especially  for  Judah,  only  it  is  brought  about  by  a  judgment  upon  Israel,  so  far  as  it  had 
departed  from  God's  ways,  and  therefore  had  become  the  sinful  kingdom  of  Israel,  —  a  judg 
*ient  by  which  "  a  chastisement  but  at  the  same  time  a  purification  is  introduced."  The 
judgment  is  like  a  storm  which  overwhelms  and  desolates,  but  at  the  same  time  purifies, 
and  therefore  carries  a  blessing  in  its  bosom  by  making  room  for  the  clearer  light  of  the  sun. 
Perhaps  it  is  in  reference  to  this  that  Amos  begins  with  the  words  of  Joel  iv.  16,  where  the 


INTRODUCTION. 


Lord's  coming  forth  to  judge  is  represented  under  the  figure  of  a  tempest,  a  violent  convul- 
Bion  of  nature. 

Here  may  be  quoted  the  manner  in  which  Schlier  (^Minor  Prophets,  p.  70)  strikingly  pre- 
sents the  contents  of  our  book  from  this  point  of  view  :  "  This  little  book  is  wonderfully 
arranged.  With  a  single  word  Joel  rouses  Amos ;  it  is  as  it  were  the  text  of  his  whole 
prophecy,  the  substance  of  all  his  utterances ;  and  what  he  declared  was  the  thundering 
voice  of  God's  judgment  upon  his  people.  A  frightful  storm  comes  down  on  Israel;  we  see 
the  lightnings  flashing  hither  and  thither  from  one  people  to  another  till  at  last  the  gloomy 
storm-clouds  stand  over  Israel  and  discharge  themselves  upon  their  guilty  heads.  But  finally 
after  fearful  bursts,  the  tempest  passes  away,  and  the  pure  blue  heaven  comes  out  over  the 
people  of  God.  This  is  the  sum  of  our  prophecy.  We  see  a  storm  issuing  from  the  Lord 
with  all  his  teiTors,  but  also  with  all  his  blessing,  in  which  it  at  last  terminates.  What 
Amos  as  a  herdsman  had  heard  and  seen  in  the  open  country  with  his  herds,  he  as  a  prophet 
brings  before  our  spiritual  vision  with  marvelous  fidelity." 

We  have  sought  to  deduce  the  aim  of  the  prophecy  from  the  express  references  to  Joel. 
But  perhaps  we  have  an  indication  of  its  outward  motive  in  the  note  of  time  with  which  the 
title  concludes  —  "  two  years  before  the  earthquake."  If  these  words  came  fi-om  Amos  him- 
self (see  on  ch.  i.  1),  they  inform  us  at  once  of  the  time  of  the  composition,  namely,  aftei 
the  earthquake,  and  also  of  the  time  of  the  pubUc  delivery  of  the  prophecies,  namely,  two 
years  before  that  event ;  thus  showing  that  they  were  distinct  from  each  other.  But  the 
presumption  is  natural  that  these  words  indicate  not  only  the  pei"iod  but  the  motive  of  the 
composition,  namely,  the  occurrence  of  the  violent  earthquake.  That  event  announced  a 
sore  judgment  from  God.  And  just  as  the  plague  of  the  locusts  induced  Joel  to  sound  his 
call  to  repentance,  since  he  regarded  it  as  the  beginning  of  the  day  of  the  Lord,  so  this 
earthquake  led  Amos  —  not,  indeed,  to  his  predictions  of  wrath,  for  these  had  occurred  be- 
fore —  but  to  record  them  at  length.  For  he  had  in  his  oral  utterances  announced  a  heaving 
of  the  earth  as  an  expression  of  God's  wrath ;  and  now  the  earth  did  heave.  What  then 
was  more  natural  than  that  he  should  see  in  this  a  confirmation  of  his  threat,  a  token  of  its 
fulfillment ;  and  regard  the  occasion  as  an  appropriate  one  for  addressing  his  contemporaries 
in  writing,  as  he  had  before  done  orally,  in  a  somewhat  enlarged  form,  especially  by  the 
introduction  and  the  conclusion,  and  with  a  reference  to  Joel  for  the  reasons  alreadv  men  • 
tioned?  We  may  even  find  an  external  reason  for  the  close  connection  with  Joel  iv.  IG  in 
this  earthquake,  since  it  would  appear  to  Amos  as  an  outward  confirmation  of  Joel's  proph- 
ecy, and  he  could  have  said  to  his  contemporaries  :  You  hear  the  fulfillment  of  Joel's  words, 
how  God  who  dwells  in  Zion  "roars  and  utters  his  voice"  —  for  the  earthquake  must  have 
been  accompanied  with  a  tempest.  God  himself  having  thus  spoken  on  behalf  of  his  prophet, 
so  much  the  more  should  a  second  prophet  deem  it  his  duty  and  his  right,  to  confirm  in  the 
enlarged  and  completed  form  before  mentioned,  his  predecessor's  prophecies  already  diffused 
among  his  contemporaries,  but  partly  misapplied  and  partly  discredited ;  and  in  order  to  this 
end,  to  record  and  publish  his  own  discourses. 

From  what  has  been  said,  the  significance  of  our  prophet  plainly  appears.  Of  fundamen- 
tal importance  here  is  Joel's  work,  by  its  precise  and  sharj)  apportionment  of  punishment 
and  deliverance  —  the  former  to  Israel's  foes,  the  latter  to  Israel  as  God's  chosen  people. 
The  final  result  is  imperishable  salvation  and  glory  for  God's  people,  and  overthrow  and 
destruction  for  his  foes,  the  world.  But  while  this  ultimate  issue  is  held  fast,  it  is  endeav- 
ored to  show  to  God's  people  God's  seriousness,  and  to  set  clearly  in  the  light  the  distinction 
between  the  true  and  the  degenerate  members  of  the  people,  especially  to  give  a  death-blow 
to  the  false  and  wicked  boasting  in  the  prerogatives  of  a  divine  vocation,  while  there  Avas 
a  total  failure  of  the  character  belonging  to  that  vocation,  in  short,  to  an  arbitrary  appro- 
priation of  the  divine  grace.  This  step  in  advance  is  taken  by  Amos  when  he  turns  the 
avenging  sword  of  the  Spirit  against  Israel  itself,  and  declares  that  it,  just  so  far  as  it  resem- 
bles the  Heathen  in  conduct,  is  in  like  manner  exposed  to  the  divine  judgment.  Still  he 
holds  high  the  banner  of  hope.  The  judgment  is  one  of  purification.  As  true  as  it  is,  on 
the  one  hand,  that  Israel  will  not  be  spared,  so  true  is  it,  on  the  other,  that  Israel  will  not 
be  destroyed  —  that  Jehovah  still  has  purposes  of  mercy  for  this  nation,  who  are  and  will 
i'eniain  his  people. 

Thus  we  find  in  Amos  the  prophetic  theme  made  more  profound  and  incisive.  It  cuts 
Israel  tothe  quick,  and  so  strikes  the  note  which  succeeding  prophets  carry  oc,  first,  h's 
•'."•ingxT  couteiuj^^rary,  II()<c;i,  who  with  all  the  weight  of  prophetic  earnestness  and  with  a 


/, 


10  AMOS. 

j:lance  taJdng  in  at  once  the  entire  condition  of  the  people,  announces  Goil's  judgment  od 
tlifi.  ivingdom  as -upon  an  unfaithful  adulterous  wife.  And  as  ~In^ Amos,  and  still  morerTDT 
Hosea,  the  judgment  does  not  spare  Judah,  so  Micah  and  Isaiah  go  farther  and  mention 
Judah  as  especially  exposed  to  it.  But  so  much  the  more  fully  do  they  set  forth  the  salva- 
lion  which  God  has  prepared  and  devised  for  his  people.  He  remains  faithful,  his  love  is 
unchangeable  ;  and  ever  clearer  and  more  certain  stands  before  their  eyes  the  form  of  the 
Messiah,  in  whom  God's  love  and  faithfulness  find  their  concrete  expression. 

The  influence  of  the  book  of  Amos  upon  the  course  of  prophecy  is  shown  by  the  use 
made  of  him,  especially  by  Hosea.  Compare  Hos.  viii.  14  with  Am.  ii.  5  (i.  4,  7,  10,  12,  14, 
ii.  2);  Hos.  xii.  10  with  Amos  ii.  10;  Hos.  xii.  8  with  Am.  viii.  5  ;  Hos.  ix.  3  with  Am.  vii. 
17,  The  later  prophets,  especially  Jeremiah,  show  a  considerable  dependence  upon  Amos: 
compare  Jer.  xlix.  27  with  Am.  i.  4 ;  xlix.  3  with  i.  1,  15  (xlvi.  6  with  ii.  14)  ;  xlviii.  24  with 
i.  12,  ii.  2  ;  xlix.  13,  20-22  with  i,  12  ;  farther,  xxv.  30  with  i.  2  ;  xxxi.  35  with  iv.  13,  v.  8, 
xliv.  2  with  ix.  4,  8.  But  particularly  in  his  prophecies  upon  foreign  lands  does  Amos 
appear  the  forerunner  of  the  later  prophets. 

As  to  the  style  of  OUT  prophet,  Jerome  indeed  calls  him  "  rude  in  speech  but  not  in  knowl- 
L'dggj"  not,  however,  as  a  reproach,  but  in  allusion  to  2  Cor.  xi.  6,  in  order  to  show,  as 
Baur  says,  that  while  as  a  herdsman  he  was  not  acquainted  with  the  formal  rules  of  rhetoric, 
the  inward  force  of  his  mind  made  good  the  lack  of  outward  dexterity.  Compare  Augustine 
{De  Doct.  Chr.,  iv.  7),  "  For  these  things  were  not  composed  by  human  industry,  but  were 
I>oured  forth  by  the  divine  mind  both  wisely  and  eloquently,  wisdom  not  aiming  at  eloquence, 
but  eloquence  not  departing  from  wisdom."  And  Lowth  (Z)e  Sac.  Poesl  lleb.)  justly  remarks 
upon  the  assertion  that  Amos  is  rude,  ineloquent,  and  unadorned,  "  Far  otherwise  !  Let  any 
fair  judge  read  his  writings,  thinking  not  who  wrote  them,  but  what  he  wrote,  and  he  will 
ileem  our  shepherd  to  be  in  nowise  behind  the  very  chie/est  prophets ;  in  the  loftiness  of  his 
thoughts  and  the  magnificence  of  his  spirit  almost  equal  to  the  highest,  and  in  splendor  of 
diction  and  elegance  of  composition  scarcely  inferior  to  any."  Yes,  his  style  is^  such  that 
although  we  emphasize  the  agency  of  the  illuminating  Spirit  of  God,  still  on  the  other  hand 
we  must  allow  to  the  prophet  no  small  degree  of  natural  culture,  without,  however,  thinking 
of  a  learned  education.  It  was  rather  a  cultivation  originated  by  conversance  with  the  Law 
and  with  the  holy  books,  and  fostered  by  religious  instruction  and  a  religious  mind,  such  as 
would  befit  a  man  of  the  people  to  whom  by  all  means  applies  the  saying,  It  is  the  heart 
that  makes  eloquent.  We  do  not  refer  here  to  the  sharp,  piercing  seriousness  of  Amos,  for 
'.his  belongs  more  to  the  substance  than  the  form  of  a  prophet.  On  the  other  hand,  we 
nay  point  to  the  soaring  elevation  of  the  speech,  e.  g.,  in  the  delineations  of  God,  ch.  iv.  13, 
!.  8,  ix.  5,  6  ;  to  the  peculiarly  bold  and  vivid  diction,  stroke  upon  stroke,  in  describing  the 
iudgments,  chaps,  i.  and  ii.,  or  in  the  complaints  in  ch.  iv.  on  account  of  the  failure  to  repent. 
But  as  Amos  has  an  intuitive  power  of  individualizing  his  conceptions  which  often  imparts 
a  poetical  coloring  to  his  speech,  so  his  style  hovers  between  prose  and  poetry,  and  forms  a 
pecuhar  kind  of  prophetic  utterance.  See  ii.  G-8,  13  ;  iii.  3  ;  v.  16,  vi.  8,  4  ;  ix.  2,  13.  Herein 
the  diction  is  little  distinguished  by  depth  of  thought,  but  so  much  the  more  does  it  display 
a  transparent  clearness  which  in  many  cases  is  increased  by  the  symmetry  of  the  arrange- 
ment, as  in  the  entire  introduction,  and  again  in  the  fourth  chapter,  and  in  the  visions. 
Observe  also  the  commencement  of  each  of  the  three  discourses,  chaps,  iii.,  iv.,  and  v.,  with 
the  phrase  "  Hear  ye,"  and  the  twofold  "  Woe,"  in  chaps,  v.  18  and  vi.  1,  by  which  the  larger 
livisions  are  denoted. 

When  in  conclusion  we  emphasize  the  imagery  of  the  book,  this  leads  to  a  more  general 
observation.  In  the  view  of  what  has  been  said,  one  might  doubt  the  composition  of  this 
work  by  a  mere  shepherd,  but  on  the  other  hand  it  is  very  noticeable  how  reminiscences 
of  a  shepherd-life  everywhere  appear.  Justly  has  Ewald  remarked  (Proph.,  i.  117)  :  "The 
simple  circle  of  country  life  has  entirely  filled  his  imagination  ;  nowhere  else  among  the 
prophets  do  we  find  rustic  images  given  with  such  originality  and  vividness  and  inexhausti- 
ble abundance.  Not  merely  do  the  numerous  comparisons  and  particular  images,  but  also  the 
minutest  lines  of  the  conceptions  and  the  expression  exhibit  the  peculiar  experience  and 
intuition  of  this  prophet."  Of  detailed  instances  Baur  in  his  Commentary  gives  the  fullest 
collection  ;  of  these  we  cite  only  a  portion.  Amos  refers  almost  all  things  to  the  sphere  of 
a  countryman.  Chaps,  iv.  6-9  ;  v.  16  ;  iii.  15  ;  v.  11  (country-seats  of  the  great)  ;  ii.  8 ;  iv.  9 ; 
V.  11,  17;  vi.  6,  ix.  14  (vineyards).  His  images  also  are  taken  from  the  experiences  of 
sountrjr  life.    Chaps.  Is.  13  ;   i.  2  ;  iv.  13  ;  v.  8,  18,  viii.  9  (an  eclipse  of  the  sun  is  to  a  shep* 


INTRODUCTION.  1 J 


herd  a  natural  image)  ;  ii.  9,  13  ;  iii.  4,  5,  8  ;  v.  19  ;  viii.  13  ;  iii.  12  ;  ix.  5  ;  vi.  12.  As  a 
plain  shepherd,  Amos  particularly  dislikes  the  dissoluteness  of  luxurious  cities  (chaps,  ii.  6  ; 
iii.  10  ;  iv.  1  ;  v.  10 ;  vi.  4),  especially  when  it  is  based  upon  usurious  dealings  in  grain  tie 
oppress  the  poor  (ch.  viii.  8,  comp.  with  vi.  7).  Since  the  contemplation  of  the  starry  heav- 
ens belongs  characteristically  to  a  shepherd  living  In  the  open  air,  Amos  prefers  to  represent 
God's  majesty  and  power  by  his  mighty  workings  in  nature.  Chaps,  iv.  13 ;  v.  8  ;  viii.  9  ; 
ix.  5. 

A  peculiar  mode  of  writing  many  words  may  be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  author 
•' came  not  from  Jerusalem,  the  centre  of  the  culture  of  the  time"  (Evvald),  e.g.,  p"^3?D  for 
,*:•'?»  (ii.  13),  nSHT?  for  n^na  (vi.  8),  Dtt713  tor  DdS::  or  2727in  (v.  11),  rpiDn  for  riniTQ 
(vi.  10),  pnii?'^  for  pn!i^  (vii.  IG).  [Pusey  says,  The  like  variations  to  these  iuytanccs  in 
Amos  are  also  found  in  other  vrords  in  the  Bible.  On  the  whole  we  may  suspect  the  exist- 
ence of  a  softer  pronunciation  in  the  south  of  Judaea,  where  Amos  lived  ;  but  the  only  safe 
inference  is,  the  extreme  care  with  which  the  words  have  been  handed  down  to  us,  just  as 
the  Prophet  wrote  and  spoke  them."] 

[The  influence  of  the  shepherd-life  of  Amos  appears  most  in  the  sublimest  part  of  his 
prophecy,  his  descriptions  of  the  mighty  workinGjs  of  God.  With  those  awful  and  sudden 
changes  in  nature,  by  which  what  to  the  idolaters  was  an  object  of  worship  was  suddenly 
overcast  and  the  day  made  dark  with  night,  his  shepherd-life  had  luaile  him  familiar.  The 
starry  heavens  had  often  witnessed  the  silent  intercourse  of  his  soul  with  God.  In  the  calf, 
the  idolaters  of  Ephraim  worshipped  "  nature."  Amos  then  delights  in  exhibiting  to  them 
his  God,  whom  they  too  believed  that  they  worshipped  as  the  creator  of  "  nature,"  wielding 
and  changing  it  at  his  will.  All  nature  too  should  be  obedient  to  its  maker  in  the  punish- 
ment of  the  ungodly,  nor  should  anything  hide  from  Him  (viii.  8,  ix.  2,  3,  5).  The  shep- 
herd life  would  also  make  the  prophet  familiar  with  the  perils  from  wild  beasts  which  we 
know  of  as  facts  in  David's  youth.  The  images  drawn  from  them  were  probably  reminis- 
cences of  what  he  had  seen  or  met  with The  religious  life  of  Amos  amid  the  scenes 

of  nature,  accustomed  him  as  well  as  David,  to  express  his  thoughts  in  wo>ds  taken  from  the 
great_picture-book  of  nature,  which  as  being  also  written  by  the  hand  of  God,  so  wonderfully 
expresses  the  things" of  God.  When  his  prophet's  life  brought  him  among  other  scenes  of 
cultivated  nature,  his  soul  so  practiced  in  reading  the  relations  of  the  physical  to  the  moral 
world,  took  the  language  of  his  parables  alike  from  what  he  saw  or  what  he  remembered. 
He  was  what  we  call  "  a  child  of  nature,"  endued  with  power  and  wisdom  by  his  God.  It 
is  a  mistake  to  attribute  to  him  any  inferiority  even  of  outward  style,  in  consequence  of  his 
shepherd  life.  Even  a  heathen  has  said,  "  words  readily  follow  thought ;  "  much  more  when 
thoughts  and  words  are  poured  into  the  soul  together  by  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  On  the  con- 
trary, scarcely  any  prophet  is  more  glowing  in  his  style,  or  combines  more  wonderfully  the 
natural  and  moral  world,  the  omnipotence  and  omniscience  of  God  (iv.  13).  What  is  more 
poetic  than  the  summons  to  the  heathen  enemies  of  Israel  to  people  the  heights  about  Samaria 
and  behold  its  sins  (iii.  9)  ?  What  more  graphic  than  that  picture  of  utter  despair  whicli 
dared  not  name  the  name  of  God  (vi.  9,  10)  ?  What  bolder  than  the  summons  to  Israel  to 
come,  if  they  willed,  at  once  to  sin  and  to  atone  for  their  sin  (iv.  4)  ?  What  more  striking 
in  power  than  the  sudden  turn  (iii.  2),  "You  only  have  I  known;  therefore  I  will  punish 
you  for  all  your  iniquities;"  or  the  sudden  summons  (iv.  12),  "  Because  I  will  do  this  unto 
thee  (the  silence  as  to  what  the  this  is,  is  more  thrilling  than  words),  prepare  to  meet  thy 
God,  O  Israel  ?  "  Or  what  more  pathetic  than  the  close  of  the  picture  of  the  luxurious 
rich,  when  having  said  how  they  heaped  luxuries  one  upon  another,  he  ends  with  what  they 
did  not  do ;    "  they  are  not  grieved  for  the  afflictions  of  Joseph  ?  "  —  Pusey.] 

§  5.  Literature. 

Besides  the  works  referring  to  the  Prophets  in  general,  chiefly  the  Minor  Prophets,  El. 
Schadsei,  Comm.  in  Amos  Prophetam.  Argent.,  1588.  Joa.  Gerhardi,  Adn^t.  in  Proph. 
Amos  et  Jonam,  etc.,  Jente,  1663  and  1676.  Amos  Propheta  expositus,  etc.,  cura  Jo.  Ch, 
Harenbergii.  Ludg.  Batav.,  1763.  Amos,  translated  and  explained,  by  J.  G.  M.  Dahl,  Got- 
tingen,  1795.  Amos,  translated  and  explained,  by  K.  M.  JustI,  Leipzig,  1799.  Am(>s,  tracts 
Mted  and  explained,  by  J.  Sam.  Vater,  Halle,  1810.  The  Prophet  Amos  explained,  by  Fr 
G.  Baur,  Giessen,  184  7.      [Horsley,  Notes,  in  Bib.  Crif.,  ii.  391.] 


12  AMOS. 

For  Practical  Exposition.  —  Among  eaxlier  writers,  The  Severe  Preacher  of  Repent- 
ance and  Prophet  Amos,  in  Sermons  of  P.  Laurentius,  Superint.  in  Dresden,  Leipz.,  1604, 
Among  the  later,  J.  Diedrich,  TTie  Prophets  (Daniel,  Hosea,  Joel)  Amos,  briefly  explained, 
etc.,  Leipzig,  1861. 

*^*  The  addiUons  made  by  tho  tmislator  ue  In  some  hutanees  marked  with  the  letter  0.,  bat  fbr  the  moat  put  an 
Anplj  iooloBed  In  sqoan  braoketi.    Joitlo*  to  Dr.  BobmoUar  raqolzea  that  this  itatement  should  be  made.  —  C. 


AMOS. 

CHAPTERS  I.,  n. 

The  Superscription  (ch.  i.  1). 

I  The  words  of  Amos  (who  was  among  the  shepherds  of  Tekoa),  wMch  he  saw 
concerniiig  Israel,  in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of  Jero- 
boam the  son  of  Joash  king  of  Israel,  two  years  before  the  earthquake. 
And  he  said  :  — 

The  Divine  Judgment  is  announced  first  against  the  Countries  lying  around  Is- 
rael, then  against  the  Kingdom  of  Judah,  hut  at  last  remains  standing  over  th* 
Kingdom  of  Israel  (chaps,  i.  2-u.  16). 

2  Jehovah  roars  out  of  Zion, 

And  out  of  Jerusalem  he  utters  his  voice 
Then  the  pastures  of  the  shepherds  wither 
And  the  head  of  Carmel  is  dried  up. 

(a)  Damascus  (vers.  3-5). 

3  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Damascus 
And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 
Beca^^e  they  threshed  GUead  with  iron  rollers, 

4  I  will  send  fire  into  the  house  of  Hazael, 
And  it  shall  devonr  the  palaces  of  Ben-hadad. 

5  And  I  will  shatter  the  bolt  of  Damascus, 

And  cut  off  the  inhabitant  from  the  vale  of  Aven, 

And  the  sceptre-holder  out  of  Beth-Eden  ; 

And  the  people  of  Syria  shall  go  into  captivity  to  Kir,  saith  Jehorahi 

(6)   Gaza  (vers.  6-8). 

6  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Gaza, 

And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 

Because  they  carried  away  captives  ^  in  full      mber  ' 

To  deliver  them  up  to  Edom, 

7  I  will  send  fire  into  the  wall  of  Gaza, 
And  it  shall  devour  their  palaces. 


14  AMOS. 

8  And  I  will  cut  off  the  inhabitant  from  Ashdod 
And  the  sceptre-holder  from  Ashkelon ; 

And  I  will  turn  my  hand  against  Ekron 

And  the  remnant  of  the  Philistines  shall  perish,  saith  the  Lord,  Jehovah. 

(c)   Tyre  (vers.  9,  10). 

9  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Tyre, 

And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 

Because  they  delivered  prisoners  in  full  number  to  Edoni) 

And  remembered  not  the  brotherly  covenant, 

10  I  will  send  fire  into  the  wall  of  Tyre 
And  it  shall  devour  their  palaces. 

{d)  Edom  (vers.  11,  12). 

11  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Edom, 

And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 

Because  he  pursues  his  brother  with  the  sword, 

And  stifles  his  compassion,^ 

And  his  wrath  continually  tears  in  pieces, 

And  his  anger  endures  forever,* 

12  I  will  send  fire  into  Teman 

And  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Bozrah. 

(e)  Ammon  (vers.  13-15). 

13  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  the  sons  of  Ammon, 
And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 
Because  they  ripped  up  the  pregnant  women  of  Gilead^ 
To  enlarge  their  border, 

14  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  wall  of  Rabbah, 
And  it  shall  devour  their  palaces, 

With  a  war-shout  in  the  day  of  battle. 
With  a  storm  in  the  day  of  the  whirlwind. 

15  And  their  king^  shall  go  into  captivity, 

He  and  his  princes  together,  saith  Jehovah. 

Chapter  II. 
(/)  Moah  (vers.  1-3). 

1  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Moab 

And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 

Because  it  burned  the  bones  of  the  king  of  Edom  into  Ime, 

2  I  will  send  fire  into  Moao, 

And  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Kerioth, 
And  Moab  shall  die  in  the  tumult. 
With  a  war -shout,  with  a  trumpet-blast ; 


CHAPTERS   I.  l-II.  16.  16 


3  And  I  will  cut  off  the  judge^  from  the  midst  thereof 
And  will  slay  all  his  princes  with  him,  saith  Jehovah. 

{g)  Judah  (vers.  4,  5). 

4  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Judah, 
And  for  four  —  I  will  not  reverse  it  — 
Because  they  despised  the  law  ^  of  Jehovah, 
And  kept  not  his  commandments/ 
And  their  lies  misled  them, 
After  which  their  fathers  walked  ; 

5  I  will  send  fii'e  into  Judah, 

And  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Jerusalem. 

(h)   Israel  (vers.  6-16) 

€  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

For  three  transgressions  of  Israel 
And  for  four  —  I  wiU  not  reverse  it  — 
Because  they  sell  the  righteous  for  money, 
And  the  needy  for  ^  a  pair  of  shoes  ; 

7  They  who  pant  after  the  dust  of  the  earth  upon  the  afflicted, 
And  pervert  the  way  of  the  sufferers  ; 

And  a  man  and  his  father  go  in  to  the  same  girl 
In  order  ^  to  profane  my  holy  name  : 

8  And  they  stretch  themselves  upon  pawned  clothes  by  every  altar, 
And  they  drink  the  wine  of  the  punished  ^^  in  the  house  of  their  God.^' 

9  And  yet^  I  destroyed  the  Amorite  before  them, 
Him  who  was  as  high  as  the  cedars 

And  as  strong  as  the  oaks  ; 

And  I  destroyed  his  fruit  from  above 

And  his  roots  from  beneath. 

10  And  yet  I  brought  you  up  from  the  land  of  Egypt, 
And  led  you  in  the  wilderness  forty  years. 

To  inherit  the  land  of  the  Amorite  ; 

11  And  I  raised  up  of  your  sons  prophets. 
And  of  your  young  men  dedicated  ones. 

Is  it  not  so,  ye  sons  of  Israel  ?  saith  Jehovah. 

12  But  ye  made  the  dedicated  ones  drink  wine. 

And  commanded  the  prophets,  saying,  "  Prophesy  not." 

13  Behold,  I  will  press  you  down^^ 

As  the  full  ^*  cart  presses  the  sheaves. 

14  Then  shall  flight  be  lost^-'  to  the  swift. 

And  the  strong  shall  not  confirm  his  strength, 
And  the  hero  shall  not  save  his  life. 

15  He  that  henreth  the  bow  shall  not  stand, 
And  the  swift-footed  shall  not  save,  — 

And  the  rider  of  the  horse  shall  not  save  his  life,^ 


16  AMOS.  

16  And  the  courageous  one  among  the  heroes, — 

Naked  shall  he  flee  away  in  that  day,  saith  the  Lord. 

TEXT  DAL  AND  GRAMMATICAL 

I  Ch»p.  1.  Ter.  6.  —  Hw?,  lit-,  txUe  ;  but  usually  concrete,  exilts. 

a  Ter.  6.  —  D^tt?,  complete,  therefore  io  full  number  =  alt  the  prisoners. 

8  Vex.  11. nntZJI  depends  upon    v37,  which  continues  in  force  as  a  conjunction.  —  nHtt?   destrot/a  =•  iti/lM 

Us  compassion  =  acts  mercilessly. 

4  Ver.  11. '"1327T  may  be  rendered,  and  his  wrath  lies  in  wait  forever,  namely,  to  perpetrate  cruelties.    [So  Ewald ; 

but  Keil  justly  objects  that  the  verb,  applied  to  wrath  in  Jer.  iii.  5,  means  to  keep,  preserve,  and  that  lying  in  wait  it 
Inapplicable  to  an  emotion.]  rTH^tt?  for  rT^QlZ?,  the  accent  being  drawn  back  because  of  the  tone-syllable  in  the 
foUowino'  word  H^S.  [Ewald  and  Oreen  make  '^'D.V  a  nominative  absolute,  and  suppose  an  omitted  mappik  in  the 
last  letter  of  the  verb,  so  as  to  translate,  "and  it  keeps  its  wrath  forever."] 

rs  Ver.  15. !Z3^D.     Some  of  the  Greek  versions,  followed  by  the  Syriac  and  Jerome,  give  the  form  MoAxoft,  Me^ 

ehom,  as  a  proper  name,  but  the  common  text  is  sustained  by  the  LXX.  and  Chaldee,  and  required  by  the  connection.] 

6  Chap.  ii.  ver.  3.  —  tDSitt?    analogous  to  tDIl?^   "iTP"^^>  *°  ^-  ^'  ^'  ^^  "™Ply  *  rhetorical  variation  for  TJ^p. 

FT  Ver.  4. n"li/^  =  God's  law,  his  preceptive  will  in  general.      D'^pH  =  the  separate  precepte,  whether  ceremonial 

or  moral] 

8  Ver.  6.  —  "l^^"*?!!!  is  not  synonymous  with  3,  pretii,  but  means  on  account  of.  FUrst,  Keil,  etc.  [Pusey  and 
Wordsworth  adopt  the  former  view.] 

9  Ver.  V.  —  1!iD^  not  "  .so  that,"  but,  "  in  order  that,"  indicating  that  the  sin  was  practiced  not  from  weaknesB  or 
Ignorance,  but  a  studious  contempt  of  the  Holy  God. 

10  Ver.  8.  —  L^'^ti^^D^  :  punished  in  money,  i.  e.,  fined,  as  in  the  margin  of  the  Auth.  Version. 

II  Ver.  8. SrT^nbS,  not  their  gods,  i.  «.,  idols  [as  Henderson],  but  their  God. 

[12  Ver.  9. The  repetition  of  the  personal  pronoun  ''^DS,  here  and  in  ver.  10,  is  very  emphatic,  equivalent  to  oar 

English  phrase,  "It  was  1  who,"  etc.] 

13  Ver.  13—  p'^^yn,  to  enclose,  compress,  crush,  CD'^rinFi,  Keil  renders  "down  upon  you  "  =  crush  you.  [So 
Winer,  Gesenius  Ewald!]  Fiirst  takes  the  word  here  and'elsewhere  as  a  substantive,  meaning  place,  position,  and  render*, 
"  I  will  compress  your  standing-place."  The  pressure  is  compared  to  that  of  a  cart.  According  to  the  usual  explanation, 
the  cart  is  further  defined  as  full  of  sheaves.  But  in  that  case  it  is  strange  that  the  pressure  of  a  full  cart  should  be 
used  to  represent  the  destructive  crushing  here  intended.  A  more  appropriate  comparison  is  found  in  the  pressure  by 
which  a  threshing  cart  threshes  the  sheaves.  It  is  better  therefore  to  take  T^^^  a»  the  object,  and  to  refer  nS  V^H 
n^  to  nbiV  =  the  full  threshing  cart,  since  such  a  cart  is  always  conceived  of  as  heavily  laden.  The  explanation  of 
rurst  is  forced.     He  supplies  ]"1D  ^V,  to  which  he  refers  the  adjective,  so  as  to  render  "  upon  the  floor  full  of  sheaves." 

14  Ver  13  —  nb  nSbxsn,  m.,  "  which  is  full  in  itself,  has  quite  filled  itself." 

T  T  ••  -' 

[16  Ver.  14.  —  Di3tt  ^^S,     The  same  combination  is  fbund  in  Ps.  cxlii.  4.] 

1«  Ver.  15.  —  iti?D3   belongs  to  both  members  of  the  verse. 

17  Ver.  16.  —  isb   t^ISS  =  "  the  strong  in  his  heart,"  i.  e.,  "  the  courageous." 


EXEQETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 

Ver.  1.  Tlie  Superscription.  The  words  of 
Amos.  The  expression  is  somewhat  unusual. 
It  is  customary  to  state  the  contents  of  a  prophecy 
&3  "  the  word  of- Jehovah  "  which  came  to  this  one 
or  that  one,  as  in  the  first  verse  of  Hosea,  Joel, 
Micah,  etc.  Jeremiah  uses  the  same  phrase  as 
AmDs,  but  adds  expressly,  "to  whom  the  word  of 
Jehovah  came."  Here  also  the  divine  inspiration 
of  "  the  words  of  Amos  "  is  put  beyond  doubt  by 

the  addition,  which  he  saw,  for  '•^Yr  ^^  ^^^  tech- 
nical formula  to  denote  the  prophet's  immediate 
intuition  of  divine  truth.  His  "  words  "  therefore 
oriirinated  in  such  an  intuition,  and  were  not  the 
outflow  and  expression  of  his  own  thoughts.  He 
"  saw  "  first  what  he  afterwards  recorded,  and  this 
seeiti};  rested  upon  a  divine  revelation.  Upon  the 
addition  to  the  Tfopliet's  name,  who  was  among, 
stc.see  tlic  Introdiu'tion,  §  1 


came  into  view  only  in  so  far  as  it  was  a  kingdom 
of  Israel,  and  contained  a  part  —  in  extent  a  greater 
part  —  of  the  people  of  Israel.  Besides,  the  threat- 
enings  extend  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  therefore 
to  all  Israel.  Moreover,  it  must  be  considered  that 
these  threatenings  terminate  in  the  promise  after 
their  execution  of  a  new  glorious  Israel,  in  which 
no  account  is  taken  of  the  existing  division  of  the 
kingdom.  As  to  the  note  of  time  in  the  days  of 
Uzziah,  etc.,  see  the  Introduction,  §  2,  where  it  is 
shown  to  be  correct  according  to  the  contents  of 
the  book. 

Two  years  before  the  earthquake.  See  also 
the  Introduction.  This  date  is  not  so  much  chron- 
ological as  argumentative.  It  is  inserted  in  refer- 
ence to  chap.  viii.  8  (alsoix.  5),  since  this  earthquake 
occurring  two  years  after  the  prophesying,  was  a 
declaration  in  act  that  God  would  make  good  the 
words  of  his  servant.  As  to  the  genuinenessof  the 
entire  superscription,  no  argument  against  it  is  to 
be  found  in   the  statement  "  who  was  amotig  the 


Upon  Israel.   TIk;  ))ecu"]iar  aim  of  the  prophet's  I  herdnuMi,"  etc..  and  especially  the  expression"  who 
atti-ranoes  ■«  tli<>  kin^rdoni  of  Ephraim  ;  but  this  !  u'o.i ;  "  ur  if  indfcd   this  stattau-nt  is  not  original, 


CHAPTERS  I.  l-II.  16. 


it  mij^ht  yet  have  been  inserted  in  a  superscription 
Dtherwise  genuine.  In  favor  of  this  view  is  the 
above-mentioned  unusual  character  of  the  phrase 
"words  of  Amos  which  he  saw."  It  is  scarce 
conceivable  that  a  later  editor  would  use  this  ex- 
pression rather  than  the  customary  one,  "  The 
word  of  the  Lord  which  came,"  etc.  If  then 
the  words  "  t^vo  years  before  the  earthquake"  are 
cited,  as  by  Baur,  as  a  proof  of  spuriousness,  be- 
cause if  genuine  the  prophecy  must  have  been 
written  two  years  after  Amos's  appearance  in  Beth- 
el, while  its  whole  character  shows  that  it  was  writ- 
ten soon  after  that  event,  we  answer  that  this  latter 
assertion  is  wholly  unfounded.  Nothing  forbids 
the  opinion  that  two  years,  which  is  no  great 
space  of  time,  elapsed  before  the  record  was  made, 
and  besides  we  have  before  shown  that  the  book  is 
by  no  means  a  mere  record  of  the  oral  discourse. 
On  the  other  hand,  even  Baur  himself  must  admit 
that  the  precise  date  and  the  peculiar  form  of  the 
superscription  presuppose  in  any  event  its  compo- 
sition not  long  after  the  prophecies  were  delivered. 
Surely  he  who  prefixed  these  words  did  it  in  refer- 
ence, as  above  stated,  to  its  bearing  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  the  prophecies  following.  And  as  there  is 
nothing  against  the  authorship  of  Amos,  it  is  most 
natural  to  think  that  he  who  suggested  the  refer- 
ence recorded  it.  Besides,  we  have  already  seen 
(Introduction,  §3)  that  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
the  earthquake  induced  Amos  to  write  his  proph- 
ecies ;  indeed,  he  perhaps  refers  to  it  in  vei-se  2.  Cer- 
tainly then  nothing  is  more  natural  than  to  assume 
that  he  himself  contributed  this  note  of  time,  and  thus 
indicated  the  inducement  which  led  him  to  write. 

Chap.  i.  ver.  2.  Jehovah  roars  out  of  Zion, 
etc.  Comp.  Joel  It.  16.  Amos  connects  himself 
directly  with  Joel  in  describing  the  judgments 
upon  the  heathen  as  enemies  of  God's  people.  For 
even  from  ver.  3,  he  announces  the  divine  wrath 
upon  all  the  surrounding  nations.  But  suddenly 
the  denunciation  turns  to  Judah,  and  then  to  Is- 
rael, where  it  remains  standing,  so  that  it  is  plain 
that  he  aimed  especially  at  Israel,  and  that  the 
threats  against  the  heathen  which  seemed  to  be 
most  important,  served  only  for  an  introduction 
to  what  follows.  This  appears  even  in  the  verse 
before  us,  since  he  applies  the  phrase  borrowed 
from  Joel  differently  from  that  prophet,  namely, 
against  Israel,  for  since  the  drying  up  of  Carmel  is 
stated  to  be  the  result  of  God's  wrath,  "  the  pas- 
tures of  the  shepherds,"  which  are  said  to  wither, 
are  to  be  referred  to  Israel.  "  Woods  and  pastures 
are  mentioned  by  Amos  in  accordance  with  his  pe- 
culiar mode  of  characterizing  the  country."  Or, 
we  are  to  assign  the  "  meads  of  the  shepherds  "  to 
the  pasture  grounds  of  the  wilderness  of  Judah, 
which  was  the  prophet's  home  in  the  south,  and  to 
this  Carmel  stands  opposed  on  the  north,  so  that 
Amos  sees  the  whole  land  from  south  to  north 
withered.  The  "  withering  "  means  generally  de- 
struction, not  to  be  limited  to  mere  drought  as  a 
natural  occurrence,  although  this  is  not  excluded, 
but  extending  to  the  devastation  of  a  foreign  foe, 
as  the  later  statements  require. 

From  ver.  3  begin  the  threatenings  against  the 
heathen  —  in  the  way  of  a  preface.  The  storm  of 
divine  wrath  rolls  around  the  outlying  kingdoms, 
until  it  comes  to  a  stand  on  Israel.  The  heathen 
kingdoms  mentioned  in  their  order  are  six  :  Syria 
(Damascus),  Gaza,  or  rather  all  Philistia  (ver.  8), 
Tyre,  Edom,  Amnion,  Moab.  These  manifestly 
constitute  two  groups,  three  in  each.  For  the  three 
first  are  more  distant  from  Israel,  the  latter  nearer, 
AS  allied  in  origin.  The  ground  of  their  punishment 


is  stated  to  be  their  transgressions,  especially  against 
Israel ;  they  come  into  view,  therefore,  as  enemies  of 
God's  people,  and  as  such  are  threatened  with  wrath. 
In  the  succession  of  the  groups  we  see  a  climax  of 
guilt,  since  naturally  the  ill-doing  of  a  kindred 
people  is  worse  than  that  of  a  foreign  race  Upon 
this  ground  the  question,  why  just  these  were  se- 
lected, answers  itself.  It  was  these  from  whom  Is- 
rael had  severely  suffered,  and  their  guilt  lay  in 
the  foreground.  They  are  then  representatives  of 
a  class  ;  a  threatening  upon  such  grounds  pro- 
claims the  guilt  of  a  similar  course  of  action  gen- 
erally—  wherever  it  may  be  found. 

See  further,  in  respect  to  the  bearing  of  menaces 
against  the  heathen  upon  menaces  against  Israel, 
in  the  Doctrinal  and  Practical  Remarks. 

2.  Damascus  —  Syria,  vers.  3-5.  Thus  saith 
Jehovah ;  for  three  transgressions,  etc.  It  is 
peculiar  that  the  threatenings  throughout  both 
chapters  are  always  introduced  in  the  same  man- 
ner. The  phrase  "  for  three  —  and  for  fuur,"  in 
well  explained  by  Hitzig,  who  says  :  "  The  num- 
ber four  is  added  to  the  number  three,  to  charac- 
terize the  latter  as  simply  set  down  at  pleasure,  to 
say  that  it  is  not  exactly  three  but  much  more." 
Three  would  be  enough,  but  it  is  not  limited  to 
three.  The  plurality  is  not  rigidly  defined,  on 
purpose  to  indicate  the  ever  increasing  number  of 
sins.     These  nations  therefore  have  incurred  not  a 

liglit  but  a  heavy  degree  of  guilt.  —  The  y^  with 
which  the  threatening  begins  is  in  each  case  re- 
peated before  the  special  transgression  mentioned, 
and  this  latter,  being  a  single  case,  seems  to  con- 
flict with  the  preceding  plurals.  But  in  truth  the 
commencement,  having  firmly  asserted  the  plural- 
ity of  the  sins,  may  well  allow  the  subsequent  ad- 
dress, as  it  hastens  from  one  people  to  another,  to 
be  content  with  naming  a  single  wrong  act  as  a 
flagrant  example  which  necessarily  presupposes 
the  existence  of  many  others.  The  phrase  inter- 
posed in  each  case — I  will  not  reverse  it,  i,  e., 
the  punishment  decided  upon  —  cuts  off  every 
thought  of  repeal,  and  declares  the  execution  to  be 
inevitable.  In  every  case  the  judgment  is  described 
as  a  sending  of  fire  to  consume  the  palaces,  which 
can  mean  only  the  fire  of  war,  conquest,  and  de- 
struction. Because  they  threshed,  refers  to  the 
cruelty  with  which  they  crushed  the  captured  Gil- 
eadites  ander  iron  threshing-machines.  This  oc- 
curred when  Palestine  east  of  the  Jordan  was  stib- 
jugated  by  Hazael  under  the  reign  of  Jehu  (2 
Kings  x.  32,  33,  cf  xiii.  7. — Benhadad ;  was  it 
the  first  of  that  name,  or  the  second  1  Probably 
both.  Shatter  the  bolt,  i.  e.,  of  the  gate  ^  the 
conquest  of  Damascus.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
valley  of  Aven  and  the  scepti-e-holder,  i.  e.,  prince 

or  ruler,  of  Beth  Eden,  are  extirpated.  —  n?i7^ 

]l^j  /it;  valley  of  nothingness,  is  probably  the  mod- 
ern Bekaa,  the  valley  between  Lebanon  and  Antilib- 
anus,  of  which  Heliopolis  (Baalkek)  was  the  most 

distinguished  city.  ]T[S,  then  perhaps  =  ]1S,  the 
name  of  the  Egyptian  Heliopolis,  whence  the  LXX. 
render  veSiov  'fli' ;  but  designedly  written  in  the 
former  method   to   play   upon   tlio   idol   worship 

performed  there  (cf.  p.^TI^'n  for  bs-n\3). 

^rj^''"!^?!  either  the  modern  Bet-el-Ganna,  not 
far  from  Damascus,  or,  better,  the  TlapaSeiffos,  in  the 
district  of  Laodicea  (Ptol.  v.,  5,  20).  The  rest  are 
to  be  carried  away  to  Kir,  an  Assyrian  provin''«, 
on  the  banks  of  the  River  Kir,  KCpoy,  the  mod*  n 


18 


AMOS. 


Georgia.  This  was  fulfilled  by  Tiglath-Pileser  (2 
Kings  xvi.  9). 

3.  Gaza  —  Philistia.  Vers.  6-8.  Gaza  stands 
as  a  representative  of  the  other  Philistine  states 
which  are  similarly  threatened,  and  is  named  first, 
perhaps  because  it  was  most  actively  engaged  in  the 
sale  of  the  captives  (Keil).  There  is  perhaps  an 
allusion  to  the  same  case  which  Joel  mentions  (iii. 
6).  Although  Joel  speaks  of  a  sale  to  the  Grecians, 
and  Amos  of  a  sale  to  Edora,  there  is  no  discrep- 
ancy, tor  both  occurred.  Joel  mentions  the  GreeUs, 
because  he  sought  to  set  forth  the  wide  dispersion 
of  the  Jews  and  their  futui«  recall  fiom  all  lands; 
but  Amos  wishes  to  emphasize  the  hatred  of  the 
Philistines,  and  therefore  speaks  of  the  sale  made  to 
Israel's  chief  foe,  Edora.  Why  Gath  is  not  named, 
docs  not  appear.  Doubtless  it  was  comprehended 
imder  the  phrase  "  remnant  of  the  Philistines." 

4.  Tyre  —  Phoenicia.  Vers.  9,  10.  The  crime 
here  is  the  same  as  in  the  preceding,  namely,  the 
sale  of  prisoners  to  Edom.  But  it  does  not  include 
carrying  them  away,  therefore  they  must  have 
bought  them  from  others  and  then  sold  them. 
Hence  Joel  says  that  the  Philistines  sold  the  pris- 
oners whom  they  captured  to  the  Greeks.  But  the 
Phoenicians  as  a  trading  people  may  just  as  well 
have  bought  from  others,  such  as  the  Syrians,  and 
sold  the  captives  thus  acquired  to  Edom.  Their 
sin  here  was  the  greater,  because  David  and  Sol- 
omon had  made  a  "brotherly  covenant  "  with  the 
king  of  Tyre.  The  threatening  in  ver.  10  is  lim- 
ited to  the  commencement  of  what  is  denounced 
upon  Damascus  and  Gaza.  The  same  is  true  of 
Edom  and  of  Judah. 

5.  Edom.  Vers.  11,  12.  No  particular  crimes 
are  here  charged,  but  an  implacable  hatred  against 
Israel,  which  broke  out  in  acts  of  cruelty.  Teman 
is  either  an  appellative,  the  South,  or  the  name  of 
a  province  in  Edom'  (cf.  Jer.  xlix.  20 ;  Hab.  iii.  3  ; 
Job  ii.  11 ;  Ezek.  xxv.  13).  Eusebius  and  Jerome 
speak  also  of  a  city  named  Teman,  six  hours  fi-om 
Petra.  Bozra,  probably  the  capital  of  Idumaea, 
south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  still  preserved  in  the  vil- 
lage of  el-Buseireh  in  Jebal. 

6.  Amman.  Vers.  13-15.  The  fact  stated  here 
is  not  mentioned  in  the  historical  books  of  the  Old 
Testament.  Babbah,  in  its  full  form,  Rabbah  of 
the  Sons  of  Ammon,  the  capital  of  the  Ammo- 
nites, is  preserved  in  the  ruins  of  Amman.  The  de- 
struction here  threatened  is  more  closely  defined. 
It  will  take  place  through  a  foreign  conquest  which 
is  compared  to  a  storm,  indicating  either  its  speed 
or  its  violence. 

7.  Moab.  Chap.  ii.  vers.  1-3.  The  burning  of 
the  body  into  lime,  i.  e.,  to  powder,  indicates  the 
.slaking  of  vengeance  even  upon  the  dead.  Noth- 
ing is  said  of  this  in  the  historical  books,  but  it 
was  perhaps  connected  with  the  war  waged  by  Jo- 
ram  of  Israel  and  Jehoshaphat  of  Judah,  together 
with  the  king  of  Edom,  against  the  Moabites.  In 
that  case  the  king  of  Edom  was  a  vassal  on  the 
side  of  Israel,  and  the  insult  to  him  would  be,  at 
least  indirectly,  a  crime  against  Israel.  Kerioth 
is  the  proper  name  of  a  chief  city  of  Moab,  still 

preserved  in  the  place  called  Kereyat.  H^  is  ap- 
plied to  Moab,  considered  as  a  person.  Here  also 
the  occurrence  of  a  battle  is  mentioned.  Judge, 
used  only  to  vary  the  expression,  is  equivalent  to 
hing,  or  sceptre-holder  in  i.  5.  From  the  midst  re- 
fers to  Moab  as  a  country. 

8.  Julah.  Vers.  4,  5.  The  sin  of  Judah  con- 
iist«  in  apostasy  from  God.  Their  lies  means  their 
Hols,  as  nonentities,  destitute  of  reality. 


9.  Israel  —  the  Ten  Tribes.  Vers.  6-16.  Now 
in  a  surprising  manner  Israel  is  brought  forward; 
and  by  a  similar  introduction  placed  on  the  same 
line  with  the  others  ;  only  in  place  of  a  short  state- 
ment, there  is  a  lengthened  and  detailed  represen- 
tation of  its  sin,  guilt,  and  punishment. 

(a.)  Israel's  Sins. 

Vers.  6-8.  Unrighteousness  in  judgment  is 
charged,  ver.  6.  The  righteous  =  one  who  is  such 
in  the  judicial  sense,  i.  e.,  innocent.  Money,  which 
they  had  received  or  expected.  SeU,  declare  guilty 
and  punish.  The  sentence  is  called  a  sale  because 
the  judge  was  bribed.  The  phrase,  for  a  pair  of 
shoes,  does  not  state  the  price  with  which  the 
judge  was  bribed  [the  poorest  slave  was  certainly 
worth  much  more  than  this  —  Keil],  but  the  occa- 
sion of  the  proceeding,  namely,  a  pair  of  shoes,  i. «., 
a  mere  trifle,  for  which  the  poor  man  was  in  debt 
and  for  which  the  judge  gave  him  up  to  the  cred- 
itor as  a  slave  (Leviticus  xxv.  39). 

Ver.  7.  They  who,  etc.  Plainly,  not  a  new 
fault,  but  a  description  of  the  sin  out  of  which  the 
former  sprang.  Pant  after  the  dust,  etc.,  i.  e., 
endeavor  to  bring  these  into  such  misery  that  they 
will  strew  dust  on  their  heads,  or  that  they  will  sink 
into  the  dust,  i.  e.,  perish.  Pervert  the  way,  etc., 
prepare  for  them  embarrassments  and  distress.  Son 
and  father  go  in  to  the  («.  e.,  one  and  the  same) 
girl.  In  order  to  profane  my  holy  name.  The 
conjunction  indicates  that  the  profanation  was  delib- 
erate and  therefore  willful.  It  is  so  called  because 
it  was  an  audacious  violation  of  God's  command 
ments.  Prostitution  in  or  near  the  temple  itself  is 
not  to  be  thought  of  here. 

Ver.  8.  Every  altar  and  the  house  of  their 
God,  certainly  refer  to  the  sacred  places  at  Beer- 
sheba  and  Dan,  but  it  mu.st  be  kept  in  mind  that 
in  these  Jehovah  was  worshipped.  There  is  no  ref- 
erence to  the  worship  of  heathen  deities,  which  in- 
deed did  not  exist  under  Jeroboam  II.,  for  the  con- 
duct here  condemned  is  condemned  just  because  it 
took  place  in  the  sanctuary,  and  thus  was  a  daring 
contempt  of  God.  Pawned  clothes,  i.  e.,  upper  gar- 
ments consisting  of  a  large  square  piece  of  cloth, 
used  also  as  a  bed-covering  by  the  poor.  These 
were  pawned,  given  in  pledge  to  a  creditor,  by  the 
poor.  Such  the  law  required  to  be  returned  before 
nightfall  (Exod.  xxii.  25;  Deut.  xxiv.  12).  But 
instead  of  this,  they  were  retained,  and  used  as 
cloths  on  which  the  creditors  stretched  out,  i.  «., 
their  limbs  ;  and  on  what  occasion  ?  According  to 
what  follows,  at  banquets  or  sacrificial  meals,  as 
the  connection  shows.  Wine  of  the  punished, 
means  wine  bought  with  the  proceeds  of  fines.  Man- 
ifestly the  oppression  of  the  poor  is  censured  also 
in  ver.  8.  It  only  connects  with  this  sin  that  of 
frivolous  luxury. 

(b).  The  sin  is  the  more  heinous  because  Israel 
is  the  chosen  people  of  God. 

10.  Vers.  9-12.  These  verses  recall  to  mind 
the  manifestations  of  God's  grace.  He  had  put 
Israel  in  possession  of  Canaan.  Here  Amos  meu« 
tions  first  the  direct  means  by  which  this  was 
done,  namely,  the  destruction  of  the  Canaanites. 
then,  what  preceded,  namely,  the  deliverance  fron. 
Egypt  and  the  guidance  through  the  wilderness. 
And  I  —  emphatic,  the  very  being  whom  you  now 
treat  with  contempt.  The  Amorites  are  named  as 
the  strongest  race  of  the  Canaanites  (cf.  Gen.  xv 
16;  Josh.  xxiv.  1.5)  ;  they  are  likened  to  a  mighty 
tree,  and  tlieir  destruction  to  its  complete  over- 
throw. A  similar  reference  to  these  gracious  dis 
pensations  is  found  in  Deut.  viii.  2,  ix.  1-6,  xxix 
1-8.     Further,  the  gift  of  prophecy  and  the  instr 


CHAPTERS   I.   l-II.    16. 


1« 


tution  of  the  Nazarites  are  mentioned  as  special 
Sivors  which  God  had  given  to  Israel  but  which 
they  despised. 

(c).  The  Punishment. 

This  is  to  be  a  crushing  so  severe  that  no  one 
can  escape.  The  figure  of  the  cart  is  explained  in 
Textual  and  Grammatical. 

Ver.  14.  Flight  is  lost  to  the  swift  ::=  he  will 
not  have  time  to  escape. 

Ver.  16.  Will  flee  naked  =  will  not  defend 
himself,  but  leave  behind  the  garment  by  which 
the  enemy  seizes  him  (cf  Mark  xiv.  52).  The  pun- 
ishment threatened  in  ver.  13  ff.  is  manifestly  the 
invasion  of  a  superior  foe.  The  powerlessness  be- 
fore him  and  the  consequent  fright  are  depicted  in 
the  liveliest  manner. 

DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

1 .  In  Joel,  prophecy  quickly  drops  the  form  of 
a  threatening  against  God's  people  which  however 
it  certainly  has,  and  then  assumes  so  much  the 
more  fully  the  character  of  a  promise.  It  is  alto- 
gether different  with  the  next  prophet  of  whom  we 
have  any  written  memorial,  as  indeed  would  be 
expected  from  the  ftict  that  his  mission  was  to 
the  ten  tribes.  On  one  side  he  stands  connected 
with  Joel,  but  on  the  other  goes  far  beyond  him  ; 
his  message  is  not  only  the  earnest  calling  of  a  de- 
generate people  to  repentance,  but  the  annuncia- 
tion of  God's  destructive  judgments  upon  them. 
But  the  transition  from  Joel's  point  of  view  to 
that  of  Araos  is  worthy  of  consideration.  The 
former  announced  a  judgment  upon  the  heathen, 
but  in  general  terms.  This  the  latter  takes  up 
with  a  slight  allusion  to  Israel,  but  he  does  not 
expand  it  farther  until  he  has  paved  the  way  by  a 
succession  of  threatenings  upon  foreign  nations. 
He  nnvolls  before  the  eyes  of  Israel  a  picture  of 
the  Divine  .Justice  in  its  sure  and  awful  march 
through  the  kingdoms.  But  if  the  people  at  first 
regard  this  with  satisfaction  because  it  concerns 
their  foes  upon  whom  they  will  thus  be  revenged, 
they  are  frightfully  awakened  from  their  security 
by  a  sudden  turn  in  the  direction  of  the  menace. 
Israel  itself  is  counted  among  these  Gentile  king- 
doms, and  treated  in  the  same  way.  This  shows 
that  the  address  to  Israel's  foes  is  only  an  intro- 
duction ;  and  therefore  it  passes  rapidly  from  one 
to  another,  not  entering  into  details,  but  content 
with  indicating  the  multitude  of  their  transgres- 
sions, and  ciliiig  one  only  as  an  example  of  the 
rest.  The  prophet  thus  prepares  to  make  the 
stroke  which  at  last  falls  upon  Israel  heavier  and 
more  lasting.  Were  those  nations  punished "?  Not 
less  will  this  one  be.  Did  they  suffer  who  had  not 
received  the  law  nor  enjoyed  special  tokens  of 
God's  favor ;  far  heavier  will  be  the  punishment 
of  this  people  who,  although  chosen  of  God,  had 
yet  in  the  grossest  manner  despised  Him  and  his 
well-known  commands.  The  storm  of  divine  wrath, 
which  they  had  gazed  at  as  it  fell  upon  others, 
would  discharge  itself  upon  them  in  all  its  fury. 

Thus  does  God  piick  the  conscience  of  his  own 
people  by  the  judgments  threatened  upon  others. 
They  hear  his  voice  saying,  "  If  I  thus  punish 
others,  what  must  I  do  to  you  ?  "  The  more  gen- 
erally and  widely  his  punishment  is  inflicted,  the 
•ess  can  Israel  complain  when  it  comes  to  them  ; 
aQuch  rather  must  they  acknowledge  it  as  just. 

To  Israel  in  the  stricter  sense  an  especial  warn- 
ing is  gi'en  in  the  fact  that  the  divine  judgment  in 
ta  circulai'  sweep  does  not  spare  Judah,  and  even 
Dames  this  before  Israel.    "  It  should  sink  deep  into 


the  heart  of  the  ten  tribes  that  not  even  the  posses- 
sion of  siich  exalted  prerogatives  as  the  temple  and 
the  throne  of  David,  could  avert  the  merited  pun- 
ishment. If  such  be  the  energy  of  God's  right- 
eousness, what  had  they  to  expect  ?  { Hengstenberg.) 
That  is,  the  ten  tribes  might  at  first  hear  gladly, 
and  even  feel  flattered  by  a  threatening  against  Ju- 
dah,  but  so  much  the  more  surprising  must  it  be 
when  the  same  thing  comes  in  turn  to  themselves. 
Then  the  matter  assumes  a  different  appearance, 
and  they  could  infer  from  Judah 's  not  being  spared, 
how  little  they  could  count  upon  any  exemption. 

2.  Returning  to  the  judgments  upon  the  heathen, 
the  question  arises,  Why  were  they  punished  1  One 
might  answer  without  ceremony.  Because  of  their 
offenses  against  Israel,  the  people  of  God.  Un- 
doubtedly these  nations  are  considered  as  Israel's 
foes,  and  their  crimes  so  far  as  specified  are  crimes 
against  Israel ;  in  part  they  are  the  same  as  those 
charged  by  Joel,  who  spoaks  so  plainly  of  the  hos- 
tility of  the  heathen  toward  Israel.  Only  in  the 
case  of  Moab  (ii.  1),  is  the  fact  otherwise,  for  here 
the  offense  stated  is  one  only  indirectly  against 
Israel.  But  this  shows  that  the  relation  to  Is- 
rael is  not  the  only  point  of  view,  and  that  the 
threatenings  against  these  nations  are  not  to  be  at- 
tributed solely  to  this  cause ;  a  view  which  is  con- 
firmed by  a  closer  inspection  of  the  sins  men- 
tioned ;  crushing  with  a  threshing  sledge,  giving 
prisoners  to  embittered  foes  (Edom),  forgetting 
the  brotherly  covenant,  slaying  a  brother,  stifling 
compassion,  ripping  the  pregnant,  displacing  the 
landmarks,  burning  the  bones  of  a  corpse.  These 
are  plainly  moral  offenses,  trangressions  of  the 
simplest  laws  of  morals.  They  are  therefore  sins 
against  a  natural  divine  ordinance,  not  positively 
revealed,  but  manifesting  itself  in  every  one's  con 
science ;  and  as  such  they  incur  a  heavy  guilt. 
The  crimes  of  these  nations  then  are  against  God 
and  not  merely  against  his  people.  So  much  the 
more  necessary  is  it  for  God  to  punish  them.  — 
And  He  can  do  this  because  He  is  a  God  who  con- 
trols all  nations,  and  to  whom  all  are  subject  even 
if  they  do  not  serve  Him.  Observe  how  self-evi- 
dent this  truth  is  to  the  prophet.  Does  not  thia 
assumed  universality  of  the  power  of  Israel's  God 
imply  indirectly,  or  at  least  negatively,  that  faith 
in  Israel's  God  is  destined  for  all?  Under  one 
God,  who  has  power  over  all,  all  shall  yet  bow 
themselves. 

3.  Hence  it  is  the  more  conceivable  that  Judah 
and  Israel  are  joined  so  directly  to  the  threatened 
heathen  nations.  Judah,  it  is  concisely  said,  has 
not  kept  the  law,  in  which  God  positively  declared 
to  them  his  will.  To  Israel,  on  the  contrary,  noth- 
ing is  said  here  of  the  sin  of  idolatry  (which  in- 
deed is  presupposed),  but  individual  oflTenses  of  a 
gross  kind  (partly  of  course  allied  with  idolatry), 
are  specified  ;  base  oppression  of  the  poor  through 
avarice,  shameless  sensuality,  spending  in  drunk- 
enness money  wrested  from  the  poor,  and  this 
most  offensively  blended  with  idol-worship.  How 
this  is  regarded  is  strikingly  shown  by  an  expres- 
sion at  the  end  of  verse  7  which  .applies  to  the 
whole  series.  It  is,  says  God,  a  profaning  of  my 
holy  name.  In  the  view  of  Scripture  there  is  a 
holy  divine  ordinance  which  is  violated  by  such 
moral  offenses.  They  are  therefore  offenses  against 
God,  "profanations  of  his  holy  name,"  who  insti- 
tuted this  ordinance.  Therefore  the  punishmen 
is  absolutely  necessary.  Eor  God  cannot  suffer  hii 
holy  name  to  be  profaned  with  impunity.  Upon 
the'sins  ag.ainst  the  poor,  see  also  Doctrinal  and 
Ethical,  2,  upon  chap.  iii. 


liO 


AMOS. 


4.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  very  same  threat  is 
m&de  against  the  heathen  and  against  Judah. 
This  is  certainly  not  without  design.  Even  if  it 
were  owing  in  the  first  instance  to  the  fact  that 
the  prophet  had  in  view  one  and  the  same  means 
of  punishment  for  all,  namely,  subjugation  by  a 
foreign  foe,  still  the  intentional  uniformity  sug- 
gests equally  the  unvarying  and  impartial  charac- 
ter of  God's  punitive  righteousness.  There  is  no 
respect  of  persons  with  Him.  Wherever  there  are 
sins,  there  inflexibly  the  divine  wrath  makes  its 
appearance ;  and  even  if  the  sins  are  different  in 
kind,  yet  where  God's  law  whether  natural  or  re- 
vealed, is  transgressed,  there  a  corresponding  reac- 
tion of  his  holiness  is  provoked. 

5.  Surely  the  greatness  of  what  God  has  done 
for  his  people  weighs  heavily  in  the  scale  and 
greatly  aggravates  their  guilt.  The  fact  of  these 
benefits  is  the  solid  ground  of  the  proceeding 
against  Israel's  sins.  Those  benefits  are  so  many 
loud  accusations,  from  which  there  is  no  escape. 
For  all  Israel's  sins  are  not  merely  violations  of  a 
divine  order,  but  a  shameless  contempt  of  his  good- 
ness and  the  blackest  ingratitude  ;  and  the  punish- 
ments therefore  are  only  a  righteous  reversal  of 
abused  mercies.  Hosea  goes  farther  and  repre- 
sents the  ingratitude  as  conjugal  infidelity,  since  he 
conceives  God's  tender  relation  to  Israel  as  a  mar- 
riage bond.  The  infliction  of  punishment  upon 
apostate  Israel  is  thus  more  clearly  shown  to  be  a 
divine  right.  An  approach  to  this  view,  an  indica- 
tion of  God's  loving  fellowship  with  Israel  is  found 
in  chap.  ii.  2  :  "  You  only  have  I  known,"  etc. 

6  Along  with  the  great  blessings  which  founded 
the  nation — the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  the 
guidance  through  the  wilderness,  and  on  the  other 
side,  the  giving  of  the  law,  —  the  institution  of 
prophecy,  and  the  law  of  the  Nazarites  are  men- 
tioned. "  These  are  gifts  of  grace  in  which  Israel 
had  the  advantage  of  other  nations,  and  was  dis- 
tinguished as  the  people  of  God  and  the  medium 
of  salvation  for  the  heathen.  Amos  reminds  the 
people  only  of  these,  and  not  of  earthly  blessings 
which  the  heathen  also  enjoyed,  because  these 
alone  were  real  pledges  of  God's  gracious  cove- 
nant with  Israel,  and  because  in  the  contempt  and 
abuse  of  these  gifts  the  ingratitude  of  the  people 
was  most  glaringly  displayed.  The  Nazarites  are 
placed  by  the  side  of  the  prophets  who  declared 
the  mind  and  will  of  God,  because  the  condition 
of  a  Nazarite,  although  it  was  in  form  merely  a 
consequence  of  his  own  free  will  in  execution  of  a 
particular  vow,  was  nevertheless  so  far  a  gift  of 
grace  in  that  the  resolution  to  make  such  a  vow 
came  from  the  inward  impulse  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
and  the  performance  of  it  was  rendered  possible 
only  through  the  power  of  the  same  Spirit.  The 
raising  up  of  the  Nazarites  was  intended  not  only 
to  set  before  the  eyes  of  the  people  the  object  of 
their  divine  calling,  or  their  appointment  to  be  a 
h.>ly  people  of  God,  but  also  to  show  them  how 
the  Lord  bestowed  the  power  to  carry  out  his  ob- 
ject "  (Keil)  ;  cf.  also  the  remarks  on  Hosea  xii. 
10,  which  rests  on  this  passage  in  Amos. 

7.  Whether  these  threatenings  against  diff'erent 
heathen  nations  were  fulfilled,  is  a  question  we 
must  ask  still  more  in  the  case  of  Amos  than  of 
Joel.  For  Amos  not  merely  sees  and  describes  in 
a  general  ideal  sketch  the  downfall  of  the  heathen 
power  which  then  stood  opposed  to  Israel's  exalta- 
tion, but  he  speaks  as  if  predicting  a  precise  his- 
torical occurrence.  Yet  it  is  to  be  considered,  that, 
as  was  hinted  before,  the  threatening  runs  essen- 
tially in  the  same  terms,  is  in  fact  one,  and,  al- 


though subjoining  special  features  in  some  casei 
(especially  i.  5,  15),  yet  at  bottom  is  very  genera^ 
and  sets  forth  simply  conquest  and  loss  of  indc 
pendence,  but  by  whom,  is  not  said.  Just  this  fate 
befell  these  kingdoms,  although  at  difi'erent  times 
and  in  dilferent  ways,  Syria  experienced  it  from 
the  Assyrians  when  Tiglath-Pileser,  in  the  time  of 
Ahaz,  conquered  Damascus  and  put  an  end  to  the 
kingdom.  Later,  the  Chaldigan  invasion  overthrew 
the  other  nations,  although  the  information  on  the 
point  is  scanty.  Accordingly  we  are  always  justi- 
fied in  saying  that  these  predictions  were  fulfilled, 
without  necessarily  aflSrming  that  it  was  in  the 
sense  intended  by  the  prophet.  [But  this  latter  is 
a  point  of  no  moment,  if  the  fulfillment  was  in  the 
sense  which  the  Holy  Spirit  intended.  —  C]  We 
must  further  consider  that  such  threatenings  are 
not  absolute.  They  are  given  at  a  particular  time, 
and  the  issue  depends  upon  the  behavior  of  those 
whom  they  concern.  For  God's  purposes,  and 
therefore  his  punishments  are  directed  according 
to  our  conduct.  Hence  He  delays  his  visitations, 
or  lessens  or  increases  them ;  so  that  what  takes 
place  at  last  little  coincides  with  what  the  prophet 
had  to  announce  in  his  name.  Nor  should  the 
idea  be  wholly  rejected,  that  these  predictions  came 
to  the  foreign  nations  themselves,  seeing  that  they 
were  neighbors,  and  were  l.iid  to  heart  by  them 
just  as  the  heathen  oracles  were,  so  that  thus  the 
state  of  afiairs  might  be  changed.  For  these  an- 
nouncements of  punishment  are  to  be  viewed  as 
warnings  as  well  to  the  heathen  as  to  Israel  — 
warnings  intended  to  be  heard  and  regarded.  That 
the  threatening  against  Judah,  which  is  of  the  same 
tenor  as  the  others,  was  fulfilled  by  Nebuchadnez- 
zar is  well  known.  But  even  this  fulfillment  does 
not  answer  exactly  to  what  the  Prophet  had  in 
view,  which  manifestly  was  a  judgment  closer  at 
hand,  perhaps  by  means  of  the  Assyrians.  Hence 
it  is  clear  that  Judah  obtained  a  respite,  because 
its  condition  had  meanwhile  improved. 

[8.  It  is  remarkable  that  none  of  these  burdens 
of  Amos  are  addressed  to  the  greatest  powers  of 
the  heathen  world,  opposed  to  Israel  and  Judah, 
—  Assyria  and  Babylon.  The  Holy  Spirit  who 
spake  by  him,  reserved  the  declaration  of  the  des- 
tinies of  these  two  great  kingdoms  for  two  othei 
of  the  twelve  minor  prophets.  Assyria  was  re- 
served for  Nahum,  Babylon  for  Habakkuk.  There 
seems,  therefore,  to   have  been  divine  forethought 

in  the  omission The  prophecies  of  Amus 

are  expanded  by  succeeding  prophets.  Amos  him- 
self takes  up  the  prophecy  of  Joel  whom  he  suc- 
ceeds. Joel,  by  a  magnificent  generalization,  had 
displayed  all  God's  judgments  in  nature  and  his- 
tory as  concentrated  in  one  great  Day  of  the  Lord 
Amos  disintegrates  this  great  whole,  and  particu- 
larizes those  judgments.  Joel  declares  that  God 
will  judge  all  collectively ;  Amos  proclaims  that 
He  will  judge  each  singly.     (Wordsworth.) 

[9.  Pusey  (p.  161 ),  with  great  propriety,  calls  at- 
tention to  the  fact  that  the  complete  captivity  of  a 
population,  the  baring  a  land  of  its  inhabitants, 
was  a  thing  unknown  in  the  time  of  Amos.  It  is 
true,  Sesostris  brought  together  "  many  men,"  "  a 
crowd,"  from  the  nations  he  had  subdued,  and  em- 
ployed them  on  his  buildings  and  canals  (Herod- 
otus, ii.  107-8).  But  in  this  and  other  like  cases, 
the  persons  so  employed  were  simply  prisoner.H 
made  in  a  campaign,  and  the  sole  object  of  the  re- 
moval was  to  obtain  slaves  so  as  to  spare  the  labor 
of  the  native  subjects  in  constructing  the  publit 
works.  This  is  shown  by  the  earlier  Assyrian  in- 
scrintions.  all  of  which  speak  only  of  carrying  off 


CHAPTERS  I.   l-II.  16. 


2) 


soldiers  as  prisoners  or  women  as  captives,  of  re- 
ceiving slaves,  or  cattle  or  goods  as  tribute,  or  of 
putting  to  death  in  various  ways  rulers  and  men 
at  arms.  The  forced  deportation  of  a  whole  peo- 
ple, and  the  substitution  of  others  in  their  place,  is 
a  different  thing  altogether.  The  design  of  this 
was  to  destroy  effectuiilly  the  independence  of  the 
subject  races  and  put  it  out  of  their  power  to  re- 
Vel.  The  first  trace  of  it  we  find  in  the  policy  of 
Tiglath  Pileser  toward  Damascus  and  East  and 
North  Palestine,  and  afterwards  it  came  into  gen- 
eral use.  But  Amos  foretold  this  wholesale  trans- 
portation long  before  it  occurred,  and  at  a  time 
when  there  was  no  human  likelihood  that  it  would 
occur.  It  must  have  been  a  divine  inspiration 
which  enabled  him  so  clearly  to  predict  such  an 
unprecedented  captivity.  —  C] 


HOMILETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL. 

v'er.  2.  The  head  of  Carmel  is  dried  up.  Its 
glory  has  passed  away,  as  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  God  hath  sjwken  the  word  and  it  is  gone. 
"All,"  says  Van  de  Velde,  "  lies  waste;  all  is  a  wil- 
derness. The  utmost  fertility  is  here  lost  for  man, 
useless  to  man.  The  vineyards  of  Carmel,  where 
are  they  now  ?  Behold  the  long  rows  of  stones 
on  the  ground,  the  remains  of  the  walls  ;  they  will 
toll  you  that  here  where  now  with  difficulty  you 
force  your  way  through  the  thick  entangled  copse, 
lay  in  days  of  old  those  incomparable  vineyards  to 
which  Carmel  owes  its  name."  (Pusey.)  —  Ver. 
3  ff.  Every  infliction  on  those  like  ourselves  finds 
an  echo  in  our  own  consciences.  Israel  heard  and 
readily  believed  God's  judgments  upon  others.  It 
was  not  tempted  to  set  itself  against  believing 
them.  How  then  could  it  refuse  to  believe  of  it- 
self what  it  believed  of  others  like  itself  If  they 
who  sinned  without  law  ])erished  without  law,  how 
much  more  should  they  who  have  sinned  in  the 
law,  be  judged  by  the  law.  (Ibid.) — For  three 
transgressions,  etc.  God  is  long-suffering  and  ready 
to  forgive ;  but  when  the  sinner  finally  becomes  a 
vessel  of  wrath.  He  punishes  all  the  former  sins 
which  for  the  time  He  had  passed  by.  Sin  adds 
to  sin  out  of  which  it  grows;  it  does  not  over- 
shadow or  obliterate  the  earlier  sins,  but  increases 
the  mass  of  guilt  which  God  punishes.  When  the 
Jews  slew  the  Son,  there  came  on  them  all  the 
righteous  blood  shed  upon  the  earth  from  right- 
eous Abel  to  Zacharias  the  son  of  Barachias.  So 
each  individual  sinner  who  dies  impenitent,  will 
be  punished  for  all  which  in  his  whole  life  he  did 
or  became  contrary  to  the  law  of  God.  Deeper 
sins  bring  deeper  damnation  at  last.  As  good 
men  by  the  grace  of  God,  do  through  each  act 
done  by  aid  of  that  grace  gain  an  addition  to  their 
everlasting  reward,  so  the  wicked  by  each  added 
sin,  add  to  their  damnation.  (Ibid.) — I  will  not 
reverse  it.  Sin  and  punishment  are  by  a  great  law 
of  God  bound  together.  God's  mercy  holds  back 
the  punishment  long,  allowing  only  some  slight 
tokens  of  his  displeasure  to  show  themselves  that 
the  sinful  soul  or  people  may  not  be  unwarned. 
When  He  no  longer  withholds  it,  the  law  of  his 
moral  government  holds  its  course.  {Ibid.)  — Ver. 
4.  Devour  Benhadad's  palaces.  What  avail  the 
pleasure-houses  and  palaces  of  the  rich  of  this 
world  1  How  soon  do  they  turn  to  dust  and  ashes 
when  the  fire  of  God's  wrath  kindles  on  them  ?  — 
Ver.  6.  Carry  away  prisoners  to  deliver  them,  etc. 
Who  so  further  afifliicts  the  afflicted,  shall  in  return 
be  afflicted  by  God.     Fugitives  who  flee  to  us  for 


refuge  should  never  be  trea  ed  with  hostility  nol 
robbed  of  their  liberty.  —  Vers.  7,  8.  The  five  cities 
of  Philistia  had  each  its  own  petty  king.  But  aU 
fbrmed  one  whole ;  all  were  one  in  their  sin ;  all 
were  to  be  one  in  their  punishment.  So  then  for 
greater  vividness,  one  part  of  the  common  inflic- 
tion is  related  of  each,  while  in  fact,  according  to 
the  wont  of  prophetic  diction,  what  is  said  of  each 
is  said  of  all.  —  Ver.  9.  Remember  not,  etc.  It  is 
a  great  aggravation  of  enmity  and  malice,  when  it 
is  the  violation  of  friendship  and  a  brotherly  cov- 
enant. (M.  Henry.)  —  Ver.  10.  Fii-a  into  the  wall 
of  Tyre.  Not  fine  buildings  nor  strong  walls,  but 
righteousness  and  honesty  are  a  city's  best  defense. 
2  Kings  ii.  12;  xiii.  14.  —  Ver.  11.  Pursues  his 
brother  with  the  sword.  Eleven  hundred  years  had 
passed  since  the  birth  of  their  forefiithers,  Jacob 
and  Esau.  But  with  God  eleven  hundred  years 
had  not  worn  out  kindred It  was  an  abid- 
ing law  that  Israel  was  not  to  take  Edom's  land, 
nor  to  refuse  to  admit  him  into  the  congregation 
of  the  Lord.  Edom  too  remembered  the  relation, 
but  to  hate  him.  "  Fierce  are  the  wars  of  breth- 
ren." (Pusey.)  —  Stifles  his  compassions.  Edom 
"  steeled  himself  against  his  better  feelings,"  as  we 
say,  "  deadened  them."  But  so  they  do  not  live 
again.  Man  is  not  master  of  the  life  and  death  of 
his  feelings,  any  more  than  of  his  natural  existence. 
He  can  destroy  ;  he  cannot  recreate.  And  he  does 
so  far  do  to  death  his  own  fbelings  whenever  in 
any  signal  instance  he  acts  against  them.  (Ibid.) 
—  Ver.  1.3.  To  widen  their  border.  The  war  of  ex- 
termination was  carried  on  not  incidentally  nor  in 
sudden  stress  of  passion,  but  in  cold  blood.  A  mas- 
sacre here  and  there  would  not  have  enlarged  their 
border.  They  wished  to  make  place  for  them- 
selves by  annihilating  Israel  that  there  might  be 
none  to  rise  up,  and  thrust  them  from  their  con- 
quests and  claim  their  old  inheritance.  Such  waa 
the  fruit  of  habitually  indulged  covetousness.  Yet 
who  beforehand  would  have  thought  it  possible? 
{Ibid.)  —  Ver.  15.  He  and  his  princrs.  Evil  kings 
have  evermore  evil  counsellors.  It  is  ever  the 
curse  of  such  kings  to  have  their  own  evil  reflected, 
anticipated,  fomented,  enacted  by  bad  advisers 
around  them.  They  link  together,  but  to  drag 
one  another  into  a  common  destruction.  {Ibid.)  — 
Chap.  ii.  1.  Even  the  iniquity  done  to  the  godless, 
God  will  not  leave  unpunished.  To  rage  against 
the  bodies  of  the  dead  is  sinful  and  horrible.  Pusey 
justly  remarks,  "  The  soul  being  beyond  man  s 
reach,  the  hatred  vented  upon  one's  remains  is  a 
sort  of  impotent  grasping  after  eternal  vengeance. 
It  wreaks  upon  what  it  knows  to  be  insensible  the 
hatred  with  which  it  would  pursue,  if  it  could,  the 
living  being  who  is  beyond  it.  Hatred  which 
death  cannot  extinguish  is  the  beginning  of  the 
eternal  hate  in  hell."  —  Chap.  i.  3-ii.  3.  Who  shall 
not  tremble  at  the  judgments  o.*"  God  1  But  who 
shall  not  gain  confidence  against  all  the  insolence 
of  men,  from  the  thought  how  God  has  judged  the 
world  ■?  Who  shall  not  shun  aU  rage,  cruelty,  and 
violence,  since  he  knows  that  God  avenge=  all  such 
sins  1  —  Ver.  4.  Because  they  despised  the  law,  etc. 
Many  other  sins  prevailed  among  the  Jewish  peo- 
ple, but  by  mentioning  only  these  two,  — contempt 
for  the  law  and  false  worship, —  the  Lord  shows  that 
they  are  the  most  grievous,  since  they  violate  the 
first  and  great  commandment,  and  make  up  the 
three  and  four,  /.  e.,  seven,  the  complete  number  of 
sins,  the  fullness  of  the  measure  of  iniquity.  For 
it  is  one  of  God's  greatest  benefits  that  He  gives  ua 
his  Word  containing  the  revelation  of  his  will  and 
thus  points  the  way  not  only  to  our  temporal  wel 


22 


AMOS. 


fare  but  to  eternal  blessedness.  To  throw  to  the 
winds  such  a  gift  is  the  grossest  ingratitude.  From 
this  contempt  of  the  Word,  there  follows  necessa- 
rily the  other  sin  of  idolatry.  For  a  man  cannot 
exist  without  a  God  and  worship  ;  his  nature  for- 
bids it.  If  any  one  turns  aways  from  the  Word 
in  which  God  reveals  his  nature  and  will,  he  must 
needs  devise  to  himself  a  deity  and  a  worship 
which  is  nothing  but  a  pernicious  lie. — Despised. 
The  prophet  uses  a  bold  word  in  speaking  of  man's 
dealings  with  God.  Man  cames  on  the  serpent's 
first  fraud,  Hath  God  indeed  said?  He  would  not 
^villingiy  own  that  he  is  directly  at  variance  with 
the  mind  of  God.  It  were  too  silly  as  well  as  too 
terrible.  So  he  smoothes  it  over  to  himself,  lyin;^ 
to  himself:  "  God's  Word  must  not  be  taken  so 
j)recisely."  "  God  cannot  have  meant."  "  The 
author  of  nature  would  not  have  created  us  so  if 
He  had  meant."  Such  are  the  excuses  by  which 
man  evades  owning  to  himself  that  he  is  tramp- 
ling under  foot  the  mind  of  God.  Scripture  draws 
utV  the  veil.  Judah  had  the  law  of  God  and  did 
not  keep  it;  then  he  despised  it.  This  ignoring 
of  God's  known  will  and  law  and  revelation  is  to 
despise  them  as  effectually  as  to  curse  God  to  his 
face.  (Pusey.)  —  After  which  their  fathers  walked. 
The  children  canonize  the  errors  of  their  fathers. 
Human  opinion  is  as  dogmatic  as  revelation.  The 
fcccond  generation  of  error  demands  as  implicit 
submission  as  God's  truth-  The  transmission  of 
error  against  himself,  God  says,  aggravates  the 
evil,  does  not  excuse  it.  (Ibid.) — ■  ver.  5.  Will 
•iend  Jire  into  Jiidah.  So  we  know  that  a  fiery 
stream  will  come  forth  and  destroy  all  who, 
whether  or  no  they  are  in  the  body  of  the  Church, 
are  not  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  ;  dead  members 
in  the  body  which  belongs  to  the  living  Head.  And 
it  will  not  the  less  come,  because  it  is  not  regarded. 
Rather,  the  very  condition  of  all  God's  judgments 
is  to  be  disregarded  and  to  come,  and  then  most  to 
come  when  they  are  most  disregarded.  (Ibid.)  — 
Ver.  6.  For  three  transgressions  of  Israel,  etc.  We 
see  here  that  the  idolatry  of  Israel  was  a  fountain 
of  all  sorts  of  misdeeds,  even  of  such  as  would 
bhock  a  reii;unabl(j  man,  as  the  list  shows;  per- 
version of  justice,  oppression  of  the  poor,  unnat- 
ural uncleanness  and  shameless  luxury.  —  Ver. 
7.  Pant  ajitr  the  dust.  Covetousness,  when  it  has 
nothing  to  feed  on,  craves  for  the  absurd  or  impos- 
sible. What  was  Naboth's  vineyard  to  a  king  of 
Israel  with  his  ivory  palace  ?  What  was  Morde- 
cai's  refusal  to  bow  to  one  in  honor  like  Haman  1 
Covetousness  is  the  sin,  mostly  not  of  those  who 
have  not,  but  of  those  who  have.  It  grows  with 
Its  gains,  and  is  the  less  satisfied  the  more  it  has 
to  satisfy  it.    (Pusey.)  —  To  profane  my  holy  name. 


The  sins  of  Grod's  people  are  a  repioach  upon  him 
self.  They  bring  Him,  so  to  say,  in  contact  with 
sin,  and  defeat  the  object  of  his  creation  and  reve- 
lation. "  He  lives  like  a  Christian,"  is  a  proverb 
of  the  Polish  Jews,  drawn  from  the  debased  state 
of  morals  in  Socinian  Poland.  The  religion  of 
Christ  has  no  such  enemies  as  Christians.     (Ibid.) 

—  Ver.  8.  They  stretch  themselves,  etc.  They  con- 
densed sin.  By  a  sort  of  economy  in  the  toil  they 
blended  many  sins  into  one :  idolatry,  sensuality, 
cruelty,  and,  in  all,  the  express  breach  of  God's 
commandments.  This  dreadful  assemblage  was 
doubtless  smoothed  over  to  the  conscience  of  the  ten 
tribes,  by  that  most  hideous  ingredient  of  all,  that 
the  "  house  of  their  God  "  was  the  place  of  their 
revelry.  What  hard-heartedness  to  the  willfully- 
forgotten  poor  is  compensated  by  a  little  church- 
going  !  (Ibid.)  —  Vers.  9,  10.  And  I  destroyed, 
etc.  We  need  often  to  be  reminded  of  the  mercies 
we  have  received,  which  are  the  heaviest  aggrava- 
tions of  the  sins  we  have  committed.  God  gives 
liberally  and  upbraids  us  not  with  our  meanness 
and  unworthiness,  and  the  disproportion  between 
his  gifts  and  our  merit;  but  He  justly  upbraids  us 
with  our  ingratitude  and  ill-requital  of  his  favors, 
and  tells  us  what  He  has  done  for  us,  to  shame  ns 
for  not  rendering  again  according  to  the  benefit 
(intie  to  us.  (M.  Henry.} — Ver.  11.  I  raised  I'p 
.  .  .  dedicated  ones.  The  life  of  the  Nazarite  was 
a  continual  protest  against  the  self-indulgence  and 
worldliness  of  the  people.  It  was  a  life  above  na- 
ture. They  had  no  special  ofiice  except  to  live 
that  life.  Their  life  taught.  Nay,  it  taught  in 
one  way  the  more,  because  they  had  no  special 
gifts  of  wisdom  or  knowledge,  nothing  to  distin- 
guish them  from  ordinary  men  except  extraordi- 
nary grace.  They  were  an  evidence  what  all  might 
be  and  do,  if  they  used  the  grace  of  God.  (Pusey.) 

—  Ver.  1 2.  Made  them  drink  wine.  What  men  de- 
spise they  do  not  oppose.  "  They  kill  us,  they  do 
not  despise  us,"  were  the  true  words  of  a  priest  in 
the  French  Revolution.  Had  the  men  in  power 
not  respected  the  Nazarites,  or  felt  that  the  people 
respected  them,  they  would  not  have  attempted 
to  corrupt  or  to  force  them  to  break  their  vow. 
(Ibid).  —  1  command  the  prophpf'^.  Prophecy  not. 
Those  have  a  great  deal  to  answer  for  who  cannot 
bear  faithful  preaching,  and  those  much  more  who 
suppress  it.  (M.  Henry.) — Vers.  13-16.  When 
God's  judgments  go  forth,  no  power,  wisdom, 
wealth,  arms,  swiftness  or  experience,  is  of  any 
avail.  Because  men  so  readily  fall  into  contempt 
of  God's  judgments  as  something  easy  to  lo 
avoided.  He  at  times  expresses  them  in  such  tei  nil 
as  to  show  that  no  escape  is  possible.     (Riegei  > 


CHAPTER  m.  2ii 


CHAPTERS  ni.-VI. 

II.   To  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  especially  to  its   Great  Men,  the  Divine  Judgment  it 
announced  upon  the  Prevailing  Sins,  unless  Men  seek  the  Lord. 

Chapter  III. 
1.  As  surely  as  the  Prophet  bears  the  Divine  Commission,  will  God  punish  IsraeL 

1  Hear  this  word, 

Which  Jehovah  speaks  concerniDg  you,  ye  sons  of  Israel, 

Concerning  the  whole  family 

Which  I  brought  up  fi'om  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying, 

2  You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families  of  the  earth ; 
Therefore  will  I  visit  upon  you  all  your  iniquities. 

3  Do  two  walk  together 
Unless  they  have  agreed  ?  ^ 

4  Does  the  lion  roar  in  the  forest 
When  he  has  no  prey  ? 

Does  the  young  lion  utter  his  cry  out  of  his  den 
Unless  he  has  taken  somethinor  ? 

o 

6  Does  a  bird  fall  into  a  trap  ^  on  the  ground 
When  there  is  no  snare  for  him  ? 
Does  the  trap  rise  up  from  the  earth 
Without  catching  anything  at  all  ? 

6  Or  is  a  trumpet  blown  in  a  city. 
And  the  people  are  not  alarmed  ? 
Or  does  misfortune  occur  in  a  city, 
And  Jehovah  has  not  caused  it  ? 

7  [No ;]  for  '  the  Lord  Jehovah  does  nothing 

Without  having  revealed  his  secret  to  his  servants,  the  prophete 

8  The  lion  roars, 
Who  does  not  fear  ? 

The  Lord  Jehovah  speaks, 
Who  must  not  prophesy  ? 

J)  Make  it  heard  over  the  palaces  in  Ashdod, 
And  over  the  palaces  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
And  say,  assemble  upon  the  mountains  of  Samaria, 
And  see  the  great  confusions  in  the  midst  thereof,* 
And  the  oppressed  in  the  heart  thereof. 

10  And  they  know  not  to  do  right,  saith  Jehovah, 

They  who  store  up  violence  and  devastation  in  their  palaces 

11  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
An  enemy,  and  that  round  about  the  land !  ^ 
And  he  shall  bring  down  thy  strength  ®  from  thee, 
And  thy  palaces  shall  be  plundered. 


'Z^ 


AMOS. 


12  Thus  saith  Jehovah, 

As  the  shepherd  rescues  from  the  mouth  of  the  lion 

Two  legs  or  an  ear-lappet, 

So  shall  tlie  sons  of  Israel  deliver  themselves  ; 

They  who  sit  in  Samaria 

On  the  corner  of  the  couch  and  on  the  damask  of  the  bed>' 

13  Hear  ye  and  testify  to  the  house  of  Jacob, 
Saith  the  Lord  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Hosts : 

14  That  in  the  day  when  I  visit  Israel's  transgressions  upon  him, 
I  will  visit  the  altars  of  Bethel, 

And  the  horns  of  the  altar®  shall  be  cut  off  and  fall  to  the  ground. 

15  And  I  will  smite  the  winter-house  with  the  summer-house, 
And  the  houses  of  ivory  shall  perish,^ 

And  many  ^^  houses  shall  disappear. 


TEXTUAL  AND    GUAMMATICAIi. 

1  V«r.  3.  —  ^^^"^3.    To  meet  together  at  an  appointed  time  and  place. 

2  Ver.  6.  —  nS  is  the  fowler's  net,  I27pij3,  the  springe  or  snare  which  holds  the  bird  &«t.  H  V  belongs  to  *TlQ^ 
[Id  order  to  catch  a  bird  in  the  net,  a  springe  must  be  laid  for  it.] 

5  Ver.  7.  —  "^S.  Not  "surely,"  as  in  E.  T.,  a  signification  which  it  nerer  has,  but,  "  for,"  in  connection  with  a  neg- 
•tive  implied  in  its  relation  to  what  precedes.    Cf.  Micah  vi.  4,  Job  xxxi.  18.J 

4  Ver.  9.  —  niD^n^,  7ioise,  disorder,  denotes  a  state  of  confusion,  resulting  from  a  complete  OTertuming  of  rights 

•uch  as  is  expressed  by  D"^p-127  ^'',  probably  to  be  taken  as  an  abstract,  "  the  oppression  "  (of  the  poor)  or  possibly  con- 
crete, "  the  oppressed." 

6  Ver.  11.  —  "«Tt^37,  tfi'J  slrfngth,  i.  e.,  Samaria's. 

6  Ver.  11  —  D'^Dp^  is  explanatory,  "and  that  round  about  the  land,"  t.  «.,  will  come  and  attack  it  on  all  sides. 

7  Ver.  12. —  ni3X2  ilSS,  the  comer  of  the  diran.  th<»  most  convenient  for  repose.  ptt7p"T,  damask,  covered  with 
•  costly  stufT.  [Pusey  and  Wordsworth  revert  to  the  old  view  (Sept.,  Vulgate,  Syriac,  Targum),'which  is  followed  In  tha 
Authorized  Version,  and  interpret,  "and  recline  on  Damascus  aa  a  couch,"  but  their  reasons  do  not  seem  to  hare  maoh 
weight.] 

8  Ver.  14.  —  nilT^'^  '^  ^^^  singular  of  species,  and  is  equivalent  to  a  plural. 

9  Ver.  15.  —  Ivory*  houses  are  such  as  have  their  apartments  adorned  with  inlaid  ivoiy  (cf.  1  Kings  xxii.  39). 

10  Ver.  15.  — D'^S'I^,  not  «  large  "  as  E  T.,  but  "  many." 


BXEQETICAIi  AND  CRITICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-2.  Hear  this  word  which  Jehovah, 
etc.  "  Hear  this  word."  This  phrase  is  repeated  at 
the  beginning  of  chaps,  v.  and  vi.  It  therefore  shows 
this  chapter  to  contain  one  address  complete  in  it- 
self. See  the  Introduction.  Upon  the  whole 
family.  Although  afterwards  destruction  is  threat- 
ened only  against  the  ten  tribes,  yet  here  the  entire 
race  is  included.  The  people  as  a  whole  were 
known  and  chosen  of  God,  and  therefore  the  pun- 
ishment of  sin  is  set  forth  in  universal  terms.  Just 
po  far  as  sin  extends,  punishment  will  and  must 
come.  Certainly  this  occurred  first  in  the  case  of 
the  ten  tribes,  but  how  little  Judah  could  count 
upon  being  spared,  has  already  been  seen  in  ch.  li. 
4,  etc. 

Ver.  2.  Only  you  have  I  known.  This  is 
equivalent  to  "  I  have  chosen,"  since  the  knowing 
expresses  a  r^lntion  of  sympathy  and  love,  as  "  the 
motive  and  the  result  of  the  election." 

2.  Vers.  3-8.  Do  two  walk  together,  etc.  The 
reneral  announcement  of  a  ])unitive  judgment  is  fol- 
lowed—  without  any  apparent  connection  with  the 
foregoing — by  a  series  of  propositions  illustrated 
by  examples  from  daily  life.  Plainly,  these  perhaps 
proverbial  phrases  arc  here  introduced  only  l)y  way 


of  comparison.  They  illustrate  the  principle  that 
every  effect  has  its  cause. 

Ver.  4.  When  he  has  no  prey,  refers,  as  Keil 
justly  states,  not  to  the  actual  seizing  of  the  prey 
by  the  lion,  but  to  his  having  it  before  him  so  that 
it  cannot  escape.  In  like  manner,  the  phrase  in 
the  second  clause,  "  unless  he  has  taken  some- 
thing," is  to  be  explained.  The  lion  makes  hia 
capture  not  merely  wlien  he  has  seized  and  is  rend- 
ing the  prey,  but  when  it  is  so  near  that  escape  ia 
impossible.  [The  lion,  as  a  rule,  roars  most  terri- 
bly when  it  has  the  prey  in  sight,  upon  which  it 
immediately  springs.     Bochart.j 

Ver.  5.  Does  the  trap  rise  up  P  because  lifted 
up  by  the  bird  flying  away.  Without  catching, 
i.  e.  the  bird. 

Ver.  6.  In  the  first  member  the  usual  order  of 
these  propositions  is  reversed,  and  the  cause  is 
mentioned  first,  —  the  blowing  of  the  trumpet,  — 
and  the  result  follows.  In  the  second,  the  other 
order  is  restored.  In  this  last,  similes  are  aban- 
doned, and  the  discourse  states  directly  what  had 
been  implied  in  numerous  comparisons.  As  lit- 
tle as  two  can  walk  together  without,  etc.,  etc. ;  so 
little  can  misfortune  occur  in  a  city  without  the 
Lord's  hand ;  or  rather,  as  in  all  these  cases,  ona 
thing  is  the  result  of  the  other  as  its  cause,  so  ia 
!  it  here.    "  Misfortune  "  in  the  city  is  the  result,  the 


CHAPTER  m. 


25 


"  Lord  "  is  the  cause.  Even  this  is  to  be  considered 
as  a  kind  of  proverbial  speech,  but  it  explains  the 
subject  treated  of  in  this  passage.  The  prophet 
has  threatened  the  whole  people  in  ver.  2,  with  a 
visitation  from  God.  Against  this  the  conscious- 
ness of  Israel  revolts,  especially  because  the  visita- 
tion is  to  come  from  God,  their  own  God,  Jehovah. 
Therefore  the  prophet  proves  the  correctness  of  his 
declaration  by  these  examples,  in  which  he  traces 
with  the  certainty  of  the  strictest  logic  every  effect 
to  a  cause,  and  so  every  misfortune  in  the  city  to 
Jehovah  as  its  author  (and  to  his  punitive  right- 
eousness as  the  cause).  If  this  be  so,  every  objec- 
tion is  obviated.  Whatever  misfortune  exists  must 
be  traced  back  to  Jehovah.  This  however  is  not 
proved,  but  only  illustrated,  by  the  examples  cited, 
which  show  simply  that  as  every  event  has  its 
cause,  so  also  must  misfortune;  so  that  the  ques- 
tion remains,  Is  this  result  to  be  attributed  to  Jeho- 
vah's activity  1  The  answer  to  this  is  found  in 
vers.  7,  8,  which  must  be  taken  together,  since  it  is 
only  thus  that  they  furnish  the  desired  proof. 

Ver.  7.  For  presupposes  the  answer  No,  to  the 
foregoing  questions,  especially  the  last.  No,  mis- 
fortune does  not  occur  without  Jehoyah's  hand, 
for,  etc.  The  proof  in  the  first  instance  is  this  : 
Jehovah  does  nothing  without  having  disclosed  his 
"  secret,"  i.  e.  his  secret  counsel,  to  his  servants, 
the  prophets.  The  latter  is  certainly  not  the  cause, 
but  it  is  the  indispensable  condition  of  Jehovah's 
activity,  so  that  between  the  two  there  is  a  neces- 
fary  connection.  But  this  very  revelation  to  the 
prophets  has  as  an  inevitable  result  (ver.  8),  their 
prophesying,  which  again  is  illustrated  by  an  ex- 
ample drawn  from  experience,  the  lion  roars,  etc. 
so  that  this  prophesying  is  not  an  accidental  or 
capricious  thing,  but  proceeds  from  a  causa  siijffi- 
ciens,  which  lies  in  Jehovah  himself.  Therefore 
the  meaning  is  :  when  the  prophet  speaks  or  pre- 
dicts, Jehovah  has  revealed  it  to  him,  and  the  for- 
mer is  the  result  of  the  latter.  But  if  Jehovah  has 
made  a  revelation  to  him,  then  what  he  predicts, 
namely,  misfortune,  is  really  impending  from  Jeho- 
vah. The  Lord  will  let  it  come.  He  will  not  indeed 
in  the  absence  of  such  a  revelation  ;  but  wherever 
this  occurs,  it  is  a  token  that  He  will  bring  it  to 
pass.  Therefore  a  prophecy,  a  foretelling  of  calam- 
ity by  a  prophet,  is  a  voucher — *'^  —  that  the 
calamity  is  from  the  Lord,  that  a  causal  connec- 
tion exists  between  the  two  as  certain  as  that 
between  the  things  mentioned  in  vers.  3-6.  Other- 
wise, the  prophet  could  not  announce  such  a  ca- 
lamity, since  he  announces  only  what  Jehovah  re- 
veals to  him,  but  must  announce  that.  The  divine 
origin  of  his  prophecy  is  to  the  prophet,  therefore, 
the  basis  on  which  he  proceeds  as  on  a  certain  real- 
ity, and  from  this  he  argues  and  proves  the  divine 
authorship  of  the  fact  which  he  predicts,  namely,  a 
punitive  judgment.  Thus  is  sustained  the  truth  of 
the  saying,  that  Jehovah  would  visit  Israel.  —  Only 

in  this  way  do  we  understand  the  *'^  in  verse  7. 
It  is  therefore  a  reversal  of  the  order  of  thought 
when  most  interpreters  say  that  from  ver.  3  the 
prophet  is  proving  the  divine  origin  of  his  prophecy 
against  the  objection  that  he  spoke  only  from  sub- 
jective influences,  i.e.,  "as  little  can  a  prophet 
«peak  ^vithout  a  divine  impulse  as  any  other  effect 
can  be  produced  without  a  cause  "  (B.  Baur).  No, 
the  prophet  does  not  justify  himself  or  his  calling, 
he  IS  sure  of  that ;  he  only  seeks  to  convince  his 
hearers  or  readers  that  they  are  really  to  expect 
the  judgment  which  he  announces,  and  to  this  end 
ic  uses  the  fact  that  prophecy  comes  from  God.  — 


Concerning  the  examples  in  ver.  3  IF.  Baur  cor- 
rectly  remarks,  "  There  is  no  occasion  to  regard 
them  as  anything  more  than  mere  analogies  repre- 
senting the  general  relation  of  cause  and  effect,  or  to 
assign  to  each  case  a  special  reference  to  the  proph- 
et's thought,  e.gr.,  the  two  as  a  figure  of  God  and 
the  people,  the  lion  as  representing  Jehovah,  and 
the  prey  and  the  bird,  the  wicked,  etc."  Such  a 
method  leads  to  constrained  refinements,  as  may  be 
seen  in  Keil,  in  lac  The  illustration  of  one  princi- 
ple by  so  many  examples  may  seem  somewhat 
tedious,  but  to  understand  it,  one  must  consider  the 
partiality  of  the  Orientals  for  figurative  and  pro- 
verbial speeches,  which  leads  them  to  express  in 
these  concrete  forms  even  such  an  abstract  truth 
as  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect.  There  is  noth- 
ing strange,  therefore,  in  finding  such  a  representa- 
tion coming  from  the  herdman  of  Tekoa. 

3.  Vers.  9-15.  Here  the  Lord's  purpose  respect'' 
ing  the  sinful  people  is  openly  declared. 

(a.)  Vers.  9,  10.  The  sins.  Make  it  heard,  etc. 
Not  only  are  the  sins  to  be  punished  set  forth,  but 
the  heathen  are  summoned  as  witnesses.  Thia 
turn  in  the  address  indicates  that  the  sinfulness  ia 
very  great,  enough  even  to  surprise  the  heathen, 
and  thus  puts  Israel  to  shame. 

Ver.  9.  Publish  ye.  Jehovah  is  the  speaker, 
and  we  must  regard  the  command  as  addressed  to 
the  people  in  these  heathen  lands.  The  palaces, 
/.  e.,  those  who  dwell  there,  are  to  be  informed,  be- 
cause the  question  concerns  what  is  done  in  the 
palaces  of  Samaria.  Ashdod,  as  part  for  the  whole, 
is  put  for  the  Philistines,  who  were  regarded  by 
Israel  as  godless  heathen.  Egypt,  "  whose  un- 
righteousness and  ungodliness  Israel  had  once 
abundantly  experienced  "  (Keil).  —  On  the  moun- 
tains of  Samaria,  i.  e.  around  Samaria,  whence 
they  could  look  into  the  city. 

Ver.  10.  They  know  not  to  do  right.  They 
do  not  understand  it,  so  accustomed  are  they  to 
unrighteousness.  They  who  store  up  violence, 
etc. ;  evil  treasures  which,  so  far  from  helping,  de- 
stroy them. 

(b.)  Vers.  11-15.  Therefore  thus  saith,  etc.,  ^V 
may  be  abstract  or  concrete.  The  latter  is  more 
probable,  especially  as  in  that  case  it  is  naturally 

connected  with  the  verb  T'^l'T'j  which  otherwise 
would  require  Jehovah  to  be  understood  as  its 
subject.  The  clause  is  an  emphatic  assertion  in 
the  form  of  an  exclamation. 

Ver.  12.  In  this  plundering  of  Samaria,  the 
great  men  will  be  able  to  save  their  lives  only  to 
ti.e  smallest  extent  and  with  the  greatest  difficulty. 
Both  points  are  suggested  in  the  comparison.  ("  A 
pair  of  shin-bones  and  a  piece,  i.  e.  a  lappet,  of  tha 
ear."  Keil.) 

Ver.  13.  Renews  the  threatening  and  raises  it 
still  higher.  There  will  be  an  utter  destruction 
Hear  ye,  etc.,  is  addressed  to  the  Israelites,  as  in 
ver.  1,  since  among  even  these  God  has  those  who 
will  testify  what  He  is  going  to  do.  They  shall, 
when  summoned  as  witnesses  of  wrong  doing,  an 
nounce  also  the  punishment  of  Israel.  House  of 
Jacob  means  all  Israel,  i.  e.,  the  twelve  tribes  ;  even 
Judah  should  hear  it  so  as  to  learn  a  lesson.  Tha 
Divine  names  are  accumulated  for  emphasis  ;  the 
threat  of  such  a  God  ought  to  make  a  deep  impres 
sion.  The  visitation  of  Israel  will  begin  with  tha 
destruction  of  the  altars  in  Bethel,  i.  e.,  of  idola 
try,  the  religious  source  of  the  moral  cornption 
This  is  more  closely  defined  by  the  cutting  off  of 
the  horns,  which  destroys  the  significance  of  the 
altar. 


26 


AMOS. 


Ver.  1 5 .  "Winter  houses  and  siimmer  houses 
are  primarily  those  of  the  royal  family,  but  per- 
haps also  those  of  the  noblemen.  —  The  threatened 
judgment,  therefore,  is  the  overthrow  of  Samaiia, 
especially  its  palaces,  with  the  complete  extermina- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  (ver.  12). 


DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1 .  "  Israel  stands  to  iis  as  a  constant  example 
both  of  the  unsearchable  riches  of  grace  which 
God  bestows  and  of  the  inconceivable  judgments 
He  sends  upon  those  who  receive  his  grace  in  vain." 
(Rieger.)  Here  again  the  bringing  out  of  Egypt 
appears  as  the  fundamental  act  of  God's  grace.  It 
is  mentioned  alone,  because  by  it  as  the  condition 
of  its  outer  and  inner  existence  was  Israel  con- 
stituted the  people  of  God.  This  bringing  out, 
however,  includes  the  guidance  through  the  wilder- 
ness and  the  giving  of  the  law.  This  people  alone 
did  God  "  know ;  "  to  them  alone  He  stood  in  a 
relation  of  nearness  and  confidence  ;  all  others  were 
aliens.  Therefore  so  much  the  greater  their  guilt, 
and  the  more  certain  their  punishment. 

2.  The  sin  of  Israel,  esjiecially  of  the  ten  tribes, 
is  apostasy,  at  least  in  the  calf-worship  (conip.  ver. 
14,  chaps'  iv.  4,  v.  .5).  But  that  which  particu- 
larly provokes  rebuke  and  menace  is,  as  appears  by 
chap.  ii.  and  the  following  chapters,  the  extreme 
moral  corruption,  which  naturally  is  regarded 
as  the  violation  of  the  divine  commands,  covet- 
ousness  and  luxury,  and  in  connection  therewith, 
the  shameless  disregard  of  the  elementary  duties 
due  to  our  neighbors,  violent  oppression  of  the 
poor.  This  last  is  continually  the  subject  of  sharp 
censure  (cf.  ii.  6,  7,  and  subsequently  iv.  1,  v.  6, 
11,  12,  vi.  12,  viii.  .5,  6).  The  poor  always  stand 
under  the  especial  protection  of  the  divine  law,  a 
peculiar  feature  of  which  is  its  compassion  for  the 
lowly,  as  the  Mosaic  institute  shows  in  many  of  its 
provisions.  How  fully  the  prophet  was  in  sym- 
pathy with  this  trait,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  upon 
no  point  is  he  so  zealous  as  upon  the  oppression  of 
the  poor.  This  was  doubtless  because  such  in- 
stances frequently  occurred  ;  still  it  is  significant 
that  instead  of  merely  touching  them  and  then 
)nissing  on,  he  brings  them  forward  and  brands 
them  with  an  especial  stigma.  "  To  pervert  the 
way  of  the  poor,"  as  it  was  before  expressed  in 
chap.  i.  ver.  7,  is,  as  it  were,  the  unpardonable  sin. 
For  this  reason  the  prophet's  rebuke  is  addressed 
mainly  to  the  great,  the  higher  classes  ;  but  cer- 
tainly not  because  these  alone  were  corrupt  while 
the  lower  classes  needed  no  particular  censure,  al- 
though at  bottom  this  was  the  fact.  Are  we  then 
to  recognize  a  democratic  feature  in  the  circum- 
stance, and  observe  how  a  man  of  the  people,  a 
herdraan,  feels  himself  called  chiefly  to  scourge 
the  sins  of  the  nobles  and  especially  those  by  which 
the  humble  suffered  ?  If  it  is  correct  to  assert  that 
iJod  called  and  employed  him  to  chastise  such 
sins,  we  may  admit  this.  Only  let  us  not  ascribe 
to  Amos  that  modern  democratic  view  which  re- 
viks  the  higher  classes  because  it  condemns  all 
distinctions  of  ranks,  llather  the  reverse  is  true 
of  Amos.  He  inveighs  against  the  sins  of  the 
^M'cat,  just  because  their  position  is  so  important, 
oecause  he  knows  that  upon  their  conduct  depends 
the  weal  or  the,  woe  of  the  community,  for  if  cor- 
ruption prevails  in  their  circles,  the  foundations  of 
the  national  prosperity  are  undermined  and  shaken. 
With  equal  or  even  greater  propriety  may  one  as- 
cribe an   aristocraiic  leaning  to  our  projihct,  but 


after  a  proper  manner,  i.  e.,  he  considers  the  post 
tion  of  the  higher  classes  very  important,  but  foi 
that  very  reason  very  responsible,  and  holds  that 
their  rights  and  privileges  impose  corresponding 
duties.  They  have  much  ability,  but  much  is  also 
expected  from  them,  "to  whom  much  is  given," 
etc.  And  if  they  mistake  and  abuse  their  position, 
so  much  the  heavier  is  their  guilt  and  the  grcatei 
the  harm  they  work.  Their  degeneracy  at  lasi 
brings  destruction  upon  the  whole.  If  then  a 
prophet  were  silent,  or  censured  only  the  lowly  and 
not  the  high,  he  would  be  justly  chargeable  with 
servility  and  fear  of  men,  which  would  ill  agree 
with  his  call  to  be  a  witness  of  divine  truth  (cf. 
chap,  iv..  Doctrinal  and  Ethical,  2). 

3.  Misfortune  as  a  punishment  comes  only  from 
Jehovah.  It  comes  not  of  itself  nor  is  casual,  but 
has  a  definite  cause  and  author,  who  is  Jehovah 
He  who  chose  and  blessed  his  people,  the  same 
punishes  them.  Men  may  struggle  against  this 
truth,  but  still  it  remains  incontestable.  And  when 
a  doubt  of  the  divine  authorship  intrudes,  there 
comes  a  voucher  in  the  words  of  the  prophets.  Be- 
fore God  executes  anything.  He  reveals  it  to  his 
servants,  and  these  cannot  but  declare  what  is  thus 
revealed.  A  calamity  announced  by  them  is  a  pun- 
ishment proceeding  from  God. 

4.  The  lofty  significance  of  prophecy  is  strongly 
expressed  in  vers.  7,  8.  The  prophets  are  not  only 
"  God's  servants  "  in  general,  but  are  also  entrusted 
with  "his  secret,"  his  "  cotmsel,"  i.  e.,  what  He 
proposes  respecting  his  people.  Yes,  he  does  noth- 
ing until  He  has  revealed  it  to  the  prophets.  Thus 
He,  as  it  were,  binds  himself  to  them.  Is  it  asked, 
Why  1  The  answer  is.  The  aim  of  the  revelation 
is  to  secure  its  announcement,  as  it  is  expressly 
said  (ver.  8),  the  speaking  of  God  to  his  servants 
necessarily  leads  them  to  prophesy.  The  object  ol 
their  utterances  is  simple  and  single,  to  set  plainly 
before  men  the  severity  of  God  against  sin,  the 
truth  of  his  punitive  righteousness.  If  this  is  done, 
so  to  speak,  in  the  interest  of  God,  naturally  it  is 
still  more  in  the  interest  of  men.  These  are  to 
learn  how  the  matter  stands  with  them  and  what 
threatens  them,  so  as  to  take  warning  while  there 
is  time.  And  if  men  do  take  warning  —  for  this 
is  the  implied  thought,  —  then  "  God  does  noth- 
ing," i.  e.,  does  not  carry  out  his  secret  counsel. 
Therefore  He,  as  it  were,  puts  prophecy  between 
his  "  secret "  and  its  execution,  and  so  prophecy 
is  justly  reckoned  among  Israel's  peculiar  privi- 
leges (comp.  ii.  11  and  the  remarks  there).  Well 
remarks  Rieger  in  reference  to  the  present  times  : 
"Those  to  whom  God  has  intrusted  the  duty  of 
bearing  witness  to  his  truth  in  the  world  now, 
cannot  put  themselves  on  a  level  with  his  ancient 
prophets,  nor  should  they  indulge  any  natural  pas- 
sion herein.  Yet  it  is  very  significant  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  addressed  to  the  overseers  of  the 
churches  of  Asia  the  precious  testimony  of  his  rev- 
elation, and  therein  the  secret  counsel  by  which 
God's  wrath  is  fulfilled,  and  thus  indicated  for  all 
time  the  participation  of  the  teacher's  office  in  the 
judgments  of  God,  partly  in  foreseeing  them,  part- 
ly in  foretelling  them,  and  partly,  moreover,  in  in 
fluencing  them  for  good  by  prayer  ir.l  watchful- 


HOMILETICAL  AND    PRACTICAL. 

Ver.  1.  Hear  (he  word  which  Jehovah  speatt 
to  you.  Here  we  learn  that  God's  Word  should 
be  preached  in  such  way  that  its  hearers  shcjld 


CHAPTER  III. 


27 


recognize  that  it  is  intended  for  and  applies  to 
..hem.  For  when  it  is  dechired  only  in  general 
terms,  especially  as  respects  God's  wrath  against 
sin,  the  people  commonly  sit  and  think  it  does  not 
concern  them  out  only  folks  in  far-off  lands.  It 
should  be  said,  Hear  what  the  Lord  says  to  you 
who  sit  here  under  the  pulpit. 

Ver.  2.  You  only,  etc. — therefore  I  will,  etc. 
This  is  a  wonderful  inference.  We  should  rather 
expect ;  therefore  will  I  spare  you.  But  we  see 
that  the  Lord  is  accustomed  to  punish  those  who 
have  received  much  at  his  hands  more  severely 
than  others  not  so  favored.  For  his  kindness  is 
not  intended  to  encourage  us  in  sin,  but  to  render 
us  through  gratitude  more  devoted  to  Him.  He  has 
chosen  us  in  Christ  that  we  should  be  holy  and 
blameless  before  Him  in  love  (Ephes.  i.),  butwhere 
this  result  does  not  follow,  God's  goodness  ceases, 
and  his  punishments  fall  the  heavier.  —  (W.  S.) 

Vers.  3  ff.  The  comparisons  here  may  be  prac- 
tically explained  as  (1)  teaching  ns  what  just 
grounds  God  has  for  his  punishments.  If  two 
walk  together,  they  inust  agree,  but  you,  He  says, 
do  not  agree  with  me,  but  are  my  foes,  by  your  evil 
works,  and  therefore  I  cannot  walk  with  you  in 
complacency.  (2 J  As  a  lion  does  not  roar  unless 
the  prey  is  just  before  him,  so  my  threatenings  are 
not  uttered  unless  1  see  men  just  ready  to  fall,  as 
it  were,  a  prey  to  my  wrath.  Of  this,  however, 
they  think  lightly,  and  deem  any  calamity  that 
befalls  them  an  accident.  But  (3)  just  as  little  as 
a  bird  falls  into  the  net  without  a  fowler,  or  a 
fowler  lifts  the  snare  without  having  caught  some- 
thing, so  little  does  misfortune  occur  without  God's 
mind  and  will,  who  does  not  give  up  his  purpose 
but  carries  it  out  unless  withheld  by  a  true  repent- 
ance. As  every  one  fears  when  the  trumpet  an- 
nounces the  enemy  near  at  hand,  so  should  my 
people  when  my  prophets  announce  to  them  judg- 
ment for  their  sins.  These  similes  remind  us  of 
the  divine  providence  in  punishments.  They  do 
not  fall  promiscuously,  but  in  the  righteous  retri- 
bution of  God,  who  determines  beforehand  who 
uhall  suffer  and  who  escape. 

[Ver.  6,  Docs  misfortune  occur,  etc.  Evil  which 
is  sin,  the  Lord  hath  not  done;  evil  which  is 
punishment  for  sin,  the  Lord  bringeth.  (Augus- 
tine.) 

Ver.  7.  The  Lord  Jehovah  does  nothing,  etc. 
God  has  ever  warned  the  world  of  coming  judg- 
ments in  order  that  it  may  not  incur  them.  As 
Chrysostom  says.  He  has  revealed  to  us  hell  in 
order  that  we  may  escape  hell.  He  warned  Noah 
of  the  coming  deluge.  He  told  Abram  and  Lot  of 
the  future  judgment  of  the  cities  of  the  plain.  He 
ri^-vealed  to  Josepli  the  seven  years  of  famine,  and 
to  Moses  the  ten  plagues,  and  to  Jonah  the  de- 
struction of  Nineveh  ;  and  by  Christ  He  foretold 
the  fall  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  Christ  has  warned  all 
of  his  own  future  coming  to  judge  the  world.  God 
'loes  this  that  men  may  repent ;  and  that  if  thev 
obstinately  continue  in  sin.  He  may  be  justified  iii 
executing  punishment  upon  them.    (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  8.  Who  dors  not  fair?  There  is  cause 
for  you  to  fear  when  God  roars  from  Zion,  but  if 
ye  fear  not,  the  prophets  dare  not  bnt  fear.   So  Paul 


say.-,  "Woe  is  unto  nic  if  I  preach  not  the  Go3 
pel."  So  Peter  and  John,  "  We  cannot  but  speak 
the  things  we  have  seen  and  beard."  Moses  was 
not  excu&ed,  though  slow  of  speech ;  nor  Isaiah, 
though  of  jiolluted  lips;  nor  Jeremiah,  because  he 
was  a  child.  And  Ezekiel  was  bidden.  Be  not  re- 
bellious like  that  rebellious  house.    (Pusey.) 

Ver.  9.  Publish  in  the  palaces,  etc.  "  Since 
ye  disbelieve,  I  will  manifest  to  Ashdodites  and 
Egyptians  the  transgressions  of  which  ye  are 
guilty."  (Theodoret.)  Shame  towards  man  sur- 
vives shame  towards  God.  Wliat  men  are  not 
ashamed  to  do,  they  are  ashamed  to  confess  that 
they  have  done.  Nay,  to  avoid  a  little  passing 
shame,  they  rush  upon  everlasting  shame.  So  God 
employs  all  inferior  motives,  shame,  fear,  hope  of 
things  present,  if  by  any  means  He  can  win  men 
not  to  offend  Him.  "  (Ibid.) 

Ver.  10.  They  hnow  not,  etc.  It  is  a  part  of 
the  niiseralile  blindness  of  sin,  that  while  the  soul 
acquires  a  quick  insight  into  evil,  it  becomes  at 
last  not  only  paralyzed  to  do  good,  but  unable  to 
perceive  it.  Store  up  violence.  They  stored  up, 
as  they  deemed,  the  gains  and  fruits  ;  but  it  was  in 
truth  the  sins  themselves,  as  a  treasure  of  wratl- 
against  the  day  of  wrath.     (Ibid.) 

Ver.  11.  Therefore  thus  saith,  etc.  There  was 
no  human  redress.  The  oppressor  was  mighty ,_ 
but  mightier  the  avenger  of  the  poor.  Man  would 
not  help,  therefore  God  would.  Thy  palaces  shall, 
he  spoiled.  Those  palaces  in  which  they  had 
heaped  up  the  spoils  of  the  oppressed.  Men's  sins. 
are  in  God's  providence  the  means  of  their  punish- 
ment. Their  spoiling  should  invite  the  spoiler, 
their  oppressions  should    attract  the    oppressor. 

Ver.  12.  As  the  shepherd  rescues,  etc.  Amos 
as  well  as  Joel  (ii.  32)  preaches  the  same  solemn 
sentence,  so  repeated  through  the  prophets,  "  a  rem- 
nant only  shall  be  saved."  So  it  was  in  the  captiv- 
ity of  the  ten  tribes.  So  it  was  in  Jnd^ih.  In  the 
Gospel,  not  many  wise  men  alter  tJie  liesh,  not 
many  mighty,  not  many  noble  were  called,  but  God 
chose  the  poor  of  this  world,  and  the  Good  Shep- 
herd rescued  from  the  month  of  the  lion  those 
whom  man  despised.  (Ibid.) 

Ver.  13.  Hear  ye  and  testifi/.  It  is  of  little 
avail  to  testify,  unless  we  first  hear ;  nu.  can  man 
bear  witness  to  what  he  doth  not  know  ;  nor  will 
words  make  an  impression,  /.  e.,  be  stamped  on 
men's  souls,  unless  the  soul  which  utters  them 
have  first  hearkened  unto  them.     (Ibid.) 

Ver.  14.  In  the  day  ichcn  I  visit,  etc.  Scripture 
speaks  of  "  visiting  offenses  upon,"  because  in 
God's  providence,  the  sin  returns  upon  a  man's 
own  head.  It  is  not  only  the  canse  of  his  punish 
ment  but  a  part  of  it.  The  memory  of  a  man'ji 
sins  will  be  a  part  of  his  eternal  suffering.    (Ibid.) 

Ver.  14.  The  altars,  etc.  The  vengeance  of  a 
just  and  holy  God  will  one  day  certainly  root  ont 
false  worship. 

Ver.  15.  The  winter-house  and.  etc.  What  are 
the  palaces  and  pleasure-housos  of  tW  vvki^cu  lu 
the  time  of  judgment,  lut  a  Icand  which  kindle* 
the  wrath  of  the  Lord. 


28  AMOS. 

Chapter  IV. 
S.  Punishment  must  come,  since  despite  all  Chastisements  the  People  mil  not  amentL' 

1  Hear^  this  word,  ye  kine  of  Bashan, 
Who  are  upon  the  mountain  of  Samaria, 
Who  oppress  the  poor, 

Who  crush  the  needy, 

Who  say  to  their  lords, 

Bring  hither  that  we  may  drink. 

2  The  Lord  Jehovah  hath  sworn  by  his  holiness, 
Behold  days  are  coming  upon  you. 

When  men  will  drag^  you  away  with  hooks 
And  the  remnant^  of  you  with  iLsh-hooks. 

3  And  through  breaches*  in  the  wall  ye  shall  go  out,  every  one  before  her»^ 
And  be  cast  fortli**  to  Harmon  '^  saith  Jehovah. 

4  Go  to  Bethel  and  sin, — 

To  Gilgal,^  and  sin  still  more  ! 
Bring  every  morning  your  sacrifices, 
Every  three  days  your  tithes. 
6  Offer^  a  praise-offering  of  what  is  leavened, 
Call  out  for  voluntary  offerings,  proclaim  them ! 
For  this  liketh  you,'''  O  sons  of  Israel, 
Saith  the  Lord,  Jehovah. 

6  And  I,  even  I,"  have  given  you  cleanness  of  teeth  in  all  your  dtiei^ 
And  want  of  bread  in  all  your  places ; 

And  ye  have  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  Jehovah. 

7  And  I,  even  I,  have  withheld  the  rain  from  you, 
When  there  were  yet  three  months  to  the  harvest, 
And  have  caused  it  to  rain  upon  one  city, 

And  cause  it  not  to  rain'^  upon  another. 

One  field  is  rained  upon. 

And  the  field  upon  which  it  does  not  rain,  withers. 

8  And  two,  three  cities  stagger  to  one  city 
To  drink  water,  and  are  not  satisfied  ; 

And  ye  have  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  Jehovah. 

9  I  have  smitten  you  with  blight  and  with  mildew ; 

And  the  multitude '' of  your  gardens  and  your  vineyards, 
And  of  your  fig  trees  and  olive  trees,  the  locust  devoured; 
And  ye  have  not  returned  to  me,  saith  Jehovah. 

10  I  have  sent  pestilence  among  you  in  the  manner  of  Egypt,^* 
I  have  slain  your  young  men  with  the  sword. 

Together  with  the  booty  '''  of  your  horses, 

And  caused  the  stench^''  of  your  camps  to  ascend  even  into  your  noseiy 

And  ye  have  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  Jehovah. 

11  I  have  overthrown  among  you, 

As  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 


CHAPTER  IV.  29 


And  ye  were  like  a  brand  plucked  out  of  the  burning ; 
And  still  ye  have  not  returned  unto  me. 

12  Therefore  thus  will  I  do  to  thee,  O  Israel. 
Because  I  will  do  this  to  thee, 

Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel. 

13  For,  behold,  He  that  formetli  the  mountains  and  createth  the  windy 
And  declareth  to  man  what  is  his  thought, 

Who  maketh  dawn  darkneip. 

And  goeth  over  the  high  places  of  the  earth, 

Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  is  his  name. 

TEXTUAL  AND  GRAMMATICAL. 

1  V«r.  1.  —  H3?ltitt7  Ibr  n337X3tt7.  because  the  verb  stands  first.     Of.  Is.  xxmI.  11. 
•  T      -  ;   ' 

a  Yer.  2.  —  SQ73  is  Piel,  as  in  1  Kings  Lz.  11.  Qreen's  Grammar,  §  164,  2.  ^p  pleonastic,  like  the  Gieek  in,  U 
tiieet  address. 

[8  Ver.  2.  —  n^^nS  is  not  posterity  (Furst,  Henderson),  but  remnant^  "  all  even  to  the  very  last"  Cf.  Hengstaa 
berg,  Oiriitol.,  i.  367.] 

4  Ver.  8.  —  D'^l'IQ  is  accusative  of  place. 
•  T  : 

6  Ver.  8.  —  n"'T?3,  »•  «•,  without  turning  to  the  right  or  the  left."     Cf  Josh.  vi.  6-20. 

«  Ver.  3.  —  nSnS  -  27n,  n —  is  simply  the  full  form  of  the  pronoun,  added  here  to  obtain  a  similarity  of  sonnd 
with  the  preceding  verb.  'The  Iliphil  form  is  found  in  all  the  MSS.  save  one,  and  is  defended  by  Hitzig,  Ewald,  etc.,  bat  m 
tt  ifl  Tery  harsh,  it  is  better,  with  the  LXX.,  Syr.,  Sym.,  Vulgate,  and  Arabic,  to  take  it  as  Hophal  (Jerome,  Fiirst, Keil,  etc.) 

7  Ver.  8.  —  lD~inrT,     This  hapax  legom.  is  not  yet  satisfactorily  explained,  although  almost  every  possible  interpre 

tation  has  been  given.  The  final  letter  appears  to  be  71  local,  and  in  that  case  the  word  indicates  the  place  into  which 
the  fugitives  are  cast.  But  where  that  place  is  none  can  say  ;  we  have  only  conjectures,  for  which  see  Keil  and  Hender- 
•on  in  loc. 

8  Ver.  4.  —  "  Gilgal  "  is  in  the  accusative  after  "  go  "  understood  from  the  preceding  clause.  "  Every  three  days,"  i* 
the  literal  rendering  adopted  by  Ibn  Esra,  Rosenmliller,  Maurer,  Keil,  etc.  Kimchi  gives  it  as  E.  V.,  and  is  followed  by 
Henderson.     The  LXX.,  Vulgate,  and  Luther  agree  with  Ibn  £sra. 

9  Ver.  5.  —  "^tDf?,  infin.  absol.  used  for  the  imper. 

[10  Ver.  5.  —  "  For  this  liketh  you."  This  fine  archaism  seems  preferable  to  the  marginal  equivalent  of  the  E.  V  , 
"  So  ye  love."] 

[11  Ver.  6.  —  The  first  personal  pronoun,  when  separately  expressed  in  Hebrew,  is  always  emphatic  ;  hence  the  lep* 
tttion  in  the  version,  "I,  even  I."] 

U  Ver.  7.  —  T'^ISS,     The  imperfects  from  here  on  are  used  as  the  historical  present  to  give  life  to  the  description 

18  Ver.  9.  —  nilinn,  infin.  const,  used  as  a  substantive  =  multitude. 

14  Ver.  10.  —  "  In  the  manner  of  Egypt,"  because  pestilence  is  epidemic  in  Egypt  (Is.  x.  24-26). 

16  Ver.  10.  —  ''Sip  73  y  is  usually  explained  :  "  together  with  the  carrying  away  of  your  horses,"  so  that  even  youi 
hones  were  carried  away.    But  Keil  readers  it  concrete  =  the  booty,  so  that  even  the  horses  that  were  captured,  perished. 

19  Ver.  10.  —  D52MZ2'1  — even  into  your  nostrils,  "like  as  a  memorial  of  their  sins"  (Hitzig). 

17  Ver.  13.  —  712737,  may  be,  who  turns  the  dawn  into  darkness,  or,  by  asyndeton,  who  makes  dawn,  darkness,  t.  «., 
both.  [The  latter  is  preferred  by  Calvin,  is  expressed  in  the  LXX.,  and  is  said  by  Henderson  to  be  the  reading  of  more 
than  twenty  of  Kenuicott's  MSS.] 

view  ;  for  cows  have  tlieir  "  lords,"  and  the  term 


EXEGETICAL  AND  CRITICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-3.  Hear  this,  etc.  Plundering  and 
destruction  had  been  threatened ;  here  carrying 
away  is  added.  They  who  are  threatened  are 
the  same  as  in  chap.  iii.  The  comparison  to  kine 
of  Bashan,  i.  e.,  strong,  well-fed,  well  agrees  with 
the  description  of  their  extortions  and  their  lux- 
urious life  in  that  chapter.  They  are  compared  to 
cows  rather  than  bulls,  manifestly  because  the  lat- 
ter figure  would  be  too  dignified  for  such  persons 
as  are  intended.  Perhaps  their  efleminacy  is  also 
hinted.  But  it  is  certainly  wrong  to  understand 
the  expression  as  meaning  specifically  the  women 
Df  Samaria.  For  nothing  characteristic  of  women 
is  said  of  the  cows,  but  only  what  had  previously 
been  said  of  the  great  in  general.  Nor  is  the  phrase 
who    say  to  their  lords,  any  objection   to    this 


here  means  the  king  and  the  princes  under  whom 
the  other  great  men  are  ranked.  So  the  Targum, 
Jerome,  Calvin,  Maurer,  and  others. 

Ver.  2.  The  threat  is  introduced  by  an  oath. 
Jehovah  swears  by  his  holiness,  for  this  perfection 
must  desire  the  punishment  of  such  an  unholy  life. 
Your  remnant,  what  has  not  been  dragged  away 
with  hooks.  To  understand  this  as  meaning  "  pos- 
terity," would  require  us  to  consider  two  genera- 
tions as  included  in  the  punishment  threatened, 
which  is  a  thought  foreign  to  the  context. 

The  breaches  in  the  walls,  are  those  made  at  tht 
captui-e  of  the  city.  [There  will  be  no  need  to  re- 
sort to  the  gates,  for  egress  will  be  possible  in  every 
direction.  —  C]  As  to  the  much  disputed  Har- 
mon, all  the  ancients  and  most  of  the  raoterm 
take  it  as  a  proper  name,  —  Armenia,  Rimmon, 
Hcrnion,  etc.   Kiuichi,  followed  by  Geienius, Winer 


30 


AMOS. 


Henderson,  resolves  the  word  by  a  change  of  its 
first  letter  into  the  term  meanine'  palace  or  citaiel, 
and  renders  "  will  be  cast  down  as  to  the  palace," 
I.  c,  from  it.  Dr.  Van  Dyck  in  the  New  Arabic 
Bible,  also  takes  it  as  aijpellative,  and  renders  "  to 
the  citadel." 

2.  Vers.  4,  5.  Go  to  Bethfel,  etc.  You  will 
aot  arrest  this  juUsrmeuc  by  your  idolatrous  wor- 
ehip,  eagerly  as  you  may  pursue  that  worship. 
Such  eagerness  is  only  an  enlargement  ul'  your 
bins.  This  thought  is  expressed  in  a  manner  bit- 
terly ironical  by  a  summons  to  greater  zeal.  Gil- 
cral  was,  like  Bethel,  a  seat  of  idol  worship  (cf.  on 
Hos.  iv.  15).  The  whole  passage  is  hyperbolical. 
"  Even  if  you  otfered  slain  offerings  every  morning 
and  tithe  every  three  days,  it  would  only  increase 
your  guilt." 

To  the  same  effect  in  ver.  .5  they  are  told,  instead 
of  being  content  with  unleavened  cakes,  to  offer 
also  upon  the  altai-  even  the  leavened  loaves  which 
were  uot  required  by  law  to  be  consumed  (Lev.  -v-ii. 
13,14).  And  so  with  the  free-will  offerings.  In- 
stead of  leaving  these  to  spontaneous  impulses, 
they  in  their  exaggerated  zeal  called  out  for  thera, 
puliiishuil  tb.iin.  The  words,  for  this  liketh  you, 
make  a  mock  of  this  zeal.  But  the  mock  is  sub- 
sequently turned  into  earnest.  For  men  surely 
should  not  persist  in  such  love  and  zeal  for  idol- 
worship,  after  God  had  so  often  punished  them  for 
it. 

3.  Vers.  6-11.  All  punishment  hitherto  had 
been  in  vain.  This  is  sliown  in  five  instances,  each 
concluding  with  the  sorrowful  refrain,  and  yet  ye 
have  not  returned  unto  me,  which  strikingly 
di.splay  the  love  of  Jehovah,  who  visits  and  pun- 
ishes his  people  only  tu  ])revent  the  necessity  of 
severer  punishment. 

(a.)  Ver.  6.  And  I  also,  etc.  To  what  they 
did,  the  prophet  sets  in  opposition  what  Jehovah 
did.  Cleanness  of  teeth,  because  they  had  noth- 
ing to  eat. 

(b.)  Vers.  7,  8.  Withheld  the  rain  when, 
etc.  The  latter  rain  is  meant.  As  this  fell  in  Feb- 
ruary and  March,  Vihile  the.  harvest  oeeurred  in 
May  and  June,  the  interval  was  reckoned  in  round 
numbers  at  three  months.  ["  This  is  utterly  ruin- 
ous to  the  hojies  of  the  farmer.  A  little  earlier  or 
a  little  later  would  not  be  so  fatal,  but  drouth  ^/(ree 
■months  before  harvest  is  entirely  destructive."  The 
Land  and  the  Book,  ii.  66.]  The  withholding  of 
rain  is  stated  as  partial,  in  order  to  show  uu)re  dis- 
tinctly that  it  was  a  divine  ordering. 

(c.)  \'er.  9.  'i'he  third  ehastisement  was  a  bad 
harvest,  arising  from  a  lilight  upon  the  cereal 
grains  and  the  destruction  of  fruits  by  locusts. 

(d.)  Ver.  10.  The  fourth  chastisement  was  pes- 
tilence and  war.  For  the  grievous  sufferings  of 
Israel  in  the  latter,  see  2  Kings  viii.  12,  xiii.  3,  7. 

(e.)  Ver.  11.  I  overthrew,  etc.  This  mani- 
festly docs  not  indicate  a  new  chastisement  in  ad- 
dition to  the  foregoing,  but  sums  them  all  up  in  a 
t-ingle  utterance.  "  The  comparison  of  the  doom 
of  Ephraim  to  that  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  is  a 
general  indication  of  the  greatness  of  their  ])unish- 
ment  (cf.  Is.  i.  9).  The  way  in  which  the  destmc- 
tion  of  the  cities  of  the  plain  is  spoken  of,  plainly 
refers  to  Gen.  xix.  29,  where  occurs  the  word  '  over- 
throw,' which  became  the  standing  ])hrase  to  de- 
scribe this  fearful  fate  (Dent.  xxix.  22;  Is.  i.  7, 
xiii.  19  ;  Jer.  xlix.  18, 1.40)."  (Baur.)  As  a  brand. 
The  emphasis  does  not  lie  on  the  actual  escape,  but 
m  the  fact  that  it  was  so  narrow.  The  phrase 
tividly  depicts  the  severity  of  their  chastisements 
aitherto ;  so  much  the  more  inexcusable  are  they 
for  not  having  returned  to  the  Lord. 


4.  Vers.  12,  13.  Therefore  thus  will  T,  etc. 
Thus,  but  hotv  is  not  said.  "  Thus,"  is  thcrefors 
to  be  regarded  as  a  general  threat,  which  is  so 
much  the  more  severe,  because  it  is  not  stated 
what  shall  come,  su  that  there  is  everything  to 
fear.  The  punishment  is  indeed  generally  indicated 
iu  this  chapter,  as  also  in  chapter  iii.  But  the 
cliief  poiut  of  the  chapter  is  to  recall  the  past 
hard-heartedness  of  Israel,  not  to  describe  their 
punishment,  since  there  are  only  brief  references  to 
the  judgment  already  mentioned,  the  full  descrijj- 
tion  of  which  is  resumed  in  chap.  v.  As  yet  it  is 
only  a  threat :  hence  the  summons,  Prepare,  etc., 
i.  e.,  not  to  meet  your  doom,  but  to  avert  it  by  true 
repentance  (cf.  chap.  v.  4,  6).  "  To  give  the  greater 
emphasis  to  this  command,  ver.  13  depicts  God  as 
the  Almighty  and  Omniscient  who  creates  prosper- 
ity and  adversity."  (Keil.)  "His  thought"  does 
not  mean  man's  thought,  but  God's  own,  which  He 
makes  known  by  the  prophets,  i.  e.,  his  purpose  to 
punish.  [It  seems  more  natural,  as  it  is  more  in 
aecoi'dance  with  the  uniform  usage  of  the  word 

n'^W  to  refer  it  toman.  As  Puseysays,  "Toman, 
a  sinner,  far  more  imjtrcssive  than  all  majesty  of 
creative  power  is  the  thought  that  God  knows' his 
inmost  soul.  He  declareth  unto  man  his  medita- 
tion, before  he  puts  it  into  ">vords."]  Treads 
upon  the  high  places  =  rules  over  all,  even  the 
highest  of  earth.  Finally  the  whole  is  confirmed 
by  the  lofty  title  of  God  as  God  of  Hosts. 

DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

1.  "  This  discourse  (vers.  1-3)  strikes  at  those 
who  are  in  authority  nnd  practice  violence  at  court 
and  elsewhere.  In  them,  unrighteousness  in  act 
concurs  with  great  looseness  in  speech.  The  more 
violently  men  deal  in  matters  of  office  and  govern- 
ment, the  more  viciously  do  they  p^roceed  among 
their  fellows,  tryiiit;-  to  stifle  all  humane  feeling  for 
others'  need  and  all  complaints  at  the  wrong  that 
is  done.  But  the  more  frivolous  their  talk,  the 
more  earnest  is  God  in  his  counsel  and  oath  against 
them  ;  and  as  they  have  done  much  for  the  sake 
of  advancing  and  enriching  their  posterity,  so  the 
judgment  of  God  strikes  them  with  their  poster- 
ity."   (Rieger.) 

2.  "  Since  the  prophet  here  attacks  so  severelv 
the  heads  of  the  state,  we  are  to  consider  that  if  3. 
modern  preacher  were  to  do  the  same,  it  would  be 
regarded  as  an  insult  and  a  calumny.  But  if  a 
preacher  out  of  a  proper  zeal  should  at  times  han- 
dle somewhat  harshly  acknowledged  public  offend- 
ers who  can  be  reached  in  no  other  way,  this  is  by 
no  means  to  be  deemed  an  unbecoming  insult,  for 
the  same  reproach  would  apply  to  the  prophets, 
to  our  Lord  Himself,  and  to  his  Ajjostles,  all  of 
whom  often  uttered  se\  ere  language.  When  in  any 
such  case  the  rebuke  aims  only  at  the  benefit  of 
the  persons  concerned,  it  is  not  an  impropriety  or 
an  outrage,  but  a  work  of  love  demanded  by  the 
preacher's  office,  which  is  to  censure  the  impenitent. 
This  must  be  done  not  only  upon  the  lowly  but 
upon  the  lofty,  and  indeed  the  more  upon  the  lat- 
ter because  they  do  so  much  more  harm  when  they 
act  amiss."  (  Wurt.  Bi.)  It  is  a  natural  inference 
that  such  a  thing  should  be  done  not  in  passion 
nor  personal  provocation,  but  really  from  a  holy 
zeal  against  sin.  But  clear  as  the  matter  is  so  far, 
the  more  difficult  is  it  in  practice.  One  can  only 
say,  Let  each  man  approve  himself  to  God  as  to 
his  inward  feeling.  The  fear  of  man  should  not 
close  the  mouth  to  an  open  testimony  against  the 
high.     But  it  does  uot  follow  that  an  open  mouth 


CHAPTER  IV. 


31 


!s  always  a  token  of  zeal  for  God's  honor.  Least 
of  .all  is  such  a  thino:  found  in  a  mere  copying  of 
others,  even  though  they  he  prophets.  Nor  should 
the  difference  between  prophets  and  the  preachers 
of  our  day  be  obliterated.  With  the  courage  to 
bear  testimony  must  be  united  the  com  age  to  suffer 
on  account  of  such  testimony  (cf  at  chap.  iii.  Doct. 
and  Eth.  2). 

3.  They  who  shamelessly  transgress  the  simplest 
n:oral  duties,  develop  along  with  this  course  a 
powerful  religious  zeal  and  cannot  do  enough  in 
worship.  An  apparent  contradiction,  yet  one  con- 
firmed a  hundred  times  by  experience  ;  moral  cor- 
ruption and  religious  bigotry  amalgamated  !  Yet 
is  it  altogether  natural ;  the  religious  form  covers 
over  the  moral  nakedness  and  quiets  the  con- 
science ;  but  this  is  certainly  a  horrible  delusion. 
That  it  was  a  false  worship  in  which  the  Israelites 
were  so  zealous,  enhances  their  guilt,  for  it  was  an 
apostasy  from  Jehovah.  But  even  a  religiosity 
which  is  formally  correct,  may  be  used  as  a  cover 
for  wickedness,  and  be  blended  with  moral  corrup- 
tion. Thus  it  is  well  to  remember  that  religious 
zeal  in  itself  is  no  proof  that  all  is  well. 

4.  God  tries  all  means  before  proceeding  to  ex- 
tremities. If  benefits  are  not  recognized,  He  sends 
chastisements.  These  in  the  first  instance  aim  not 
at  destruction,  but  at  opening  the  eyes  through  the 
perception  of  the  divine  wrath  so  that  men  may  re- 
pent and  seek  God.  They  are  therefore  as  much 
tokens  of  grace  as  proofs  of  wrath.  But  if  this 
aim  is  not  reached,  the  forbearance  of  God  ceases, 
and  a  decisive  judgment  steps  forth.  But  this  last 
is  something  extorted  from  God,  it  is  against  his 
real  disposition ;  only  with  reluctance  does  He  re- 
solve upon  it.  He  waits  long  in  the  hope  that 
there  will  be  a  change  and  so  the  last  step  be  un- 
necessary. Most  clearly  docs  the  sorrowful  love 
of  God  shine  out  from  the  vivid  delineation  of  the 
prophet.  National  calamities,  according  to  our 
chapter,  are  tc  b-o  viewed  as  chastisements  from 
God.  This  view  does  not  conflict  with  the  exist- 
ence of  natural  causes,  but  recognizes  God  as  the 
being  in  whose  seiTice  these  act.  It  sees  in  the 
course  of  the  world,  not  the  blind  mechanism  of  a 
clock,  but  the  work  of  a  personal  intelligent  will, 
and  considers  the  laws  of  that  course  as  the  thoughts 
of  this  will,  which  rules  and  governs  the  whole,  the 
domain  of  the  physical  as  well  as  that  of  the  moral 
and  spiritual,  and  naturally  docs  not  leave  these  to 
run  on  merely  sice  by  side,  but  puts  them  in  con- 
stant and  intimate  relation  and  alternation  with 
each  other,  so  that  physical  life  finds  its  highest 
aim  in  the  loftier  domain  of  moral  and  spiritual 
life.  National  calamities  are  only  a  lower  degree 
of  the  revelation  of  God's  wrath.  Heavy  as  they 
may  bo,  they  endanger  only  the  material  conditions 
of  a  nation's  life,  and  that  in  a  superficial  way  from 
which  there  may  be  a  recovery,  but  they  do  not 
imperil  its  essential  being,  which  consists  in  its 
political  "  independence  and  freedom."  That  a 
nation  is  determined  to  maintain  and  guard  this, 
that  it  considers  the  loss  of  it  the  last  punishment 
'rem  God's  baud,  comes  forth  very  clearly  as  the 
prophet's  view.  A  nation  therefore  should  defend 
this  against  the  attack  of  a  foreign  foe.  But  it  is 
equally  clear  that  where  the  inner  conditions,  piety 
and  righteousness,  no  longer  exist,  there  all  pains 
to  preserve  independence  are  vain.  God  gives  the 
power  and  victory  to  the  foes.  What  enemies  do, 
that  God  himself  does  through  them  (cf  chap.  ii. 
13,  iii.  15).  Her3  also  there  is  no  denial  of  the 
nearer  causality,  that  of  the  human  will.  But 
while  man  is  doing  only  his  own  will,  he  at  the 
«ame  :iroe  does  the  will  of  God,  acts  as  his  instru- 


ment, and  serves  his  aims,  which  are  the  highest, 
the  only  absolute  ones. 

5.  With  a  short  but  lofty  delineation  of  God's 
transcendent  greatness  and  almighty  power,  the 
prophet  concludes  the  chapter,  showing  that  Jeho- 
vah is  one  who  speaks  with  emphasis  and  can  ex 
ecute  his  threatenings.  It  is  as  beautiful  poetically 
as  it  is  profound  theologically.  It  exhibits  an  ele- 
vation and  depth  in  the  conception  of  God,  which 
permits  a  very  definite  conviction  as  to  the  strength 
and  clearness  of  the  divine  manifestation  made  to 
Israel.  As  thus  controlling  all  things,  God  is 
called  the  God  of  Hosts.  Observe  how  fond  Amos 
is  of  this  phrase  in  the  vehement  outpouring  of 
indignation  in  the  chaps,  iii.-vi.,  cf.  iii.  13,  iv.  13, 
V.  16,  27,  vi.  8,  14.  Here  Jehovah  appears  as  One 
who  towers  above  all  creaturely  existences,  who 
rules  the  highest  spheres  of  might,  against  whom 
therefore  nothing  can  avail,  around  whom  every- 
thing stands  ready  to  execute  his  will.  He  is  not 
the  national  God  of  Israel  alone,  but  the  God  of 
the  world.  Hence  He  is  not  merely  a  natura. 
force  which  biulds  and  again  destroys,  but  a  per- 
sonal God  who  acts  according  to  his  own  "  thought," 
which  He  makes  known  to  men.  And  as  such  a 
personal,  self-conscious,  self-active  being,  He  stands 
in  constant  relations  with  his  personal  creatures. 


HOMILETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL. 

[Ver.  I.  Who  oppress  the  poor.  He  upbraids 
them  not  for  fierceness,  but  for  a  more  delicate  and 
wanton  unfecliugness,  the  fruit  of  luxury,  fullness 
of  head,  a  life  of  sense,  which  destroy  all  tender- 
ness, dull  the  mind,  deaden  the  spiritual  sense. 
They  did  not  directly  oppress,  perhaps  did  not 
know  that  it  was  done ;  they  sought  only  that  their 
own  thirst  for  luxury  and  self-indulgence  should 
be  gratified,  and  knew  not,  as  those  at  ease  often 
know  not  now,  that  their  luxuries  are  continually 
watered  by  the  tears  of  the  poor,  tears  shed  almost 
unknown  except  by  the  Maker  of  both.  But  He 
counts  willful  ignorance  no  excuse.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  2.  Behold,  days  are  coming.  God's  day  and 
eternity  arc  ever  coming.  They  are  holding  on 
their  steady  course.  Men  put  out  of  their  minds 
what  will  come.  Therefore  God  so  often  in  his 
notices  of  woe  brings  to  mind  that  those  days  are 
ever  coniing ;  they  are  not  a  thing  which  shall  be 
only ;  in  God's  purpose  they  already  are,  and  with 
one  uniform,  steady  noiseless  tread  are  coming  up- 
on the  sinner.     (Ibid.) 

Ver.  4.  Go  to  Bethel  and  sin,  etc.  Words  uttered 
in  bitter  irony  and  indignation,  as  Ezekiel  says 
(xx.  39),  "Go  ye,  serve  every  one  his  idols,"  and 
our  Lord,  "  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your 
fathers"  (Matt,  xxiii.  32).  It  is  a  characteristic 
of  idolatry  and  schism,  to  profess  extraordinary 
zeal  for  God's  worship  and  go  beyond  the^  letter 
and  spirit  of  Iris  law  by  arbitrary  will-worship  and 
self-idolizing  fanaticism.     (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  5.  Call  out  for  voluntary  offerings,  etc.  The 
profuseness  of  idolaters  in  the  ser\nce  of  their  false 
gods  may  shame  our  strait-handedness  in  the  service 
of  the  true  and  living  God.     (M.  Henry.)] 

Ver.  6  tf.  Have  given  you  cleanness  of  teeth, 
etc.  Before,  we  had  a  thoughtful  appeal  to  God'i 
mercies ;  now  his  chastisements  are  er  umerated 
These  are  the  two  chief  evidences  of  God's  ap- 
proach to  a  people,  a  community,  a  family,  or  even 
an  individual,  in  love  or  in  sorrow,  and  what  fruits 
one  or  the  other  has  borne  (Rieger).  [And  ye  have 
not  returned  unto  me.  By  repeating  this  'orrowfiJ 
ejaculation  four  times  'vers  6,  9,  10,  11)   God  em 


AMOS. 


pliatioally  declares  the  loving  design  of  his  chas- 
lisement  of  Israel.     (Wordswortli.) 

Vers.  7,  8.  The  preaching  of  the  Gospel  is  as 
rain ;  God  sometimes  blesses  one  place  with  it 
mure  tnan  anotner  ;  some  countries,  some  cities 
are  like  Gideon's  fleece,  wet  with  this  dew  while 
the  ground  around  is  dry  ;  all  withers  where  this 
rain  is  wanting.  But  it  were  well  if  people  were 
but  as  wise  for  their  souls  as  they  are  for  their 
bodies,  and,  when  they  have  not  this  rain  near 
them,  would  go  and  seek  it  where  it  is  to  be  had. 
If  they  seek  aright,  they  shall  not  seek  in  vain. 
(M.  Henry.)] 

Ver.  9.  Of  what  avail  are  judgments?  Men  now 
are  as  little  influenced  by  them  as  Israel  of  old. 
They  do  not  believe  they  are  punishments,  much 
less  that  they  are  sent  for  the  causes  assigned. 
They  deem  tliem  accidental,  or  else  invent  other 
causes,  and  even  ascribe  droughts,  floods,  hail,  cat- 
erpillars, etc.,  to  witchcraft  and  sorcer}-,  in  the  face 
of  the  Scriptni-e  which  expressly  attributes  such 
plagues  to  God.  (Wurt.  Bible.)  [Ordinarily,  God 
makes  his  sun  to  arise  upon  the  evil  and  on  the 
eood,  and  sends  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  unjust, 
But  He  does  not  enslave  himself  to  his  own  laws. 
There  are  variations,  and  in  his  Word  He  reveals  to 
ns  the  meaning  of  his  daily  variations  in  the  work- 
ings of  nature.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  10.  After  the  manner  of  Egypt.  Israel,  hav- 
ing sinned  like  Egypt,  was  to  be  punished  like 
Egypt.  One  of  the  threatenings  in  Deuteron- 
Binyin  case  of  disobedience  was  (xxviii.  27),  The 


Lord  shall  smite  thee  with  the  botch  of  Egypt 
{Ibid.)  ^^ 

Ver.  11.  T  have  overthroim,  etc.  The  earthquake 
is  reserved  to  the  last  as  the  most  special  visitation. 
It  is  at  all  times  the  more  tenible,  because  un- 
seen, unannounced,  instantaneous,  complete.  The 
ground  under  a  man's  feet  seems  no  longer  secure, 
his  shelter  is  his  destruction;  aien's  houses  become 
their  graves.  War,  pestilence,  and  famine  seldom 
break  in  at  once.  The  earthquake  at  once  buries 
it  may  be,  thousands,  each  stiffened  (if  it  were  so), 
in  that  his  last  deed  of  evil ;  each  household  with  its 
own  form  of  misery  ;  each  in  its  separate  vault,  — 
dead,  dying,  crushed,  imprisoned.     (Ibid.) 

Ver.  1 2.  Thus  irill  I  do  unto  thee.  God  having 
said  this  is  silent  as  to  what  He  will  do  ;  that  so  Is- 
rael hanging  in  susi>enseas  having  before  him  e.ich 
sort  of  punishment  —  which  are  the  more  terrible 
because  he  imagines  them  one  by  one, —  may  in- 
deed repent,  that  God  inflict  not  what  He  threatens. 
(Jerome.)] 

Ver.  13.  Ilethatformeth  the  mountains,  etc.  This 
noble  description  of  God  on  one  hand  arouses  the 
conscience  to  appreciate  his  threatenings  and  re- 
nounce all  vain  confidence,  and  on  the  other  en- 
courages the  heart  to  come  again  into  communion 
with  such  a  God  by  sincere  conversion.  (Rieger. ) 
(If  He  be  such  a  God  as  He  is  here  described  to  be, 
it  is  folly  to  contend  with  Him,  and  our  duty  and 
interest  to  make  our  peace  with  Him  ;  it  is  good 
having  Him  our  friend,  and  bad  having  Him  our 
enemy.     (M.  Henry.)] 


Chapter  V. 

t    Lament  for  Israel,     The  only  Safety  is  in  seeking  the  Lord.     Woe  to  the  Fools  who  desire  the  Day  ef 

the  Lord. 

1  Hear  this  word, 

Which  I  raise  over  you  as  a  lamentation,  ^  O  house  of  Israel 

2  Fallen  is  the  virgin  -  Israel,  she  does  not  rise  again, 
She  is  stretched  out  upon  her  soil,  no  one  raises  her  up. 

3  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah, 

The  city  which  goes  out  by  a  thousand  * 
Shall  retain  a  hundred. 
And  that  which  goes  out  by  a  hundred 
Shall  retain  ten,  for  the  house  ol'  Israel. 


4  For  thus  saith  Jehovah  to  the  house  of  Israel, 
Seek  ye  me,  and  ye  shall  live.* 

5  And  seek  not  Bethel, 
And  go  not  to  Gilgal, 

And  pass  not  over  to  Beersheba. 

For  Gilgal  shall  surely  go  into  captivity,' 

And  Bethel  shall  come  to  naught. 

6  Seek  ye  Jehovah,  and  ye  shall  live. 

Lest  he  break  forth  like  fire  upon  the  house  of  Joseph, 
And  it  devour,®  and  there  be  none  to  quench  it  for  Bethel 

7  They  who  turn  justice  into  wormwood, 
And  cast  righteousness  down  to  the  earth ! 

8  He  who  makes  the  Seven  Stars ''  and  Orion, 
And  turns  the  shadow  of  death  into  morning, 
And  darkens  day  into  night ; 


CHAPTER  V.  3^ 


Who  calls  to  the  waters  of  the  sea, 
And  pours  them  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
Jehovah  is  his  name  ! 
9  Who  makes  desolation  to  flash  ^  upon  the  strong, 
And  desolation  comes  upon  the  fortress. 

10  They  hate  the  reprover  ^  in  the  gate, 

And  him  that  speaketh  uprightly  they  abhor. 

11  Therefore,  because  ye  trample  ^°  upon  the  poor, 
And  take  from  him  a  gift  of  wheat ; 

Houses  of  hewn  stone  ye  have  built 
But  ye  shall  not  dwell  in  them, 
Pleasant  vineyards  ye  have  planted, 
But  ye  shall  not  drink  their  wine. 

12  For  I  know  that  many  are  your  transgressions, 
And  your  sins  are  great, 

Ye  who  oppress  "  the  righteous, 

Who  take  a  bribe, 

And  they  push  aside  the  poor  in  the  gate  from  their  right. 

13  Therefore,  the  prudent  at  this  time  is  silent, 
For  it  is  an  evil  time. 

14  Seek  good  and  not  evil  that  ye  may  live, 

And  that  so  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  may  be  with  you,  as  ye  say. 

15  Hate  evil  and  love  good. 
And  set  up  justice  in  the  gate ; 

Perhaps  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  will  favor  the  remnant  of  Josepk 

16  Therefore  thus  saith  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  the  Lord, 
In  all  streets  wailing  ! 

And  in  all  the  highways  shall  men  say,  Alas,  alas, 
And  they  call  ^^  the  husbandman  to  mourning, 
And  lamentation  to  those  skilled  in  lamenting. 

17  And  in  all  vineyards  shall  be  lamentation, 

For  I  will  pass  through  the  midst  of  thee,  saith  Jehovah 

18  Woe  to  those  who  desire  the  day  of  Jehovah ! 
What  good  is  it  to  you  ? 

The  day  of  Jehovah  !  it  is  darkness  and  not  light. 

19  As  if  a  man  fleeth  before  the  hon, 
And  the  bear  meets  him  ; 

Or  he  goes  into  the  house 

And  rests  his  hand  upon  the  wall, 

And  the  snake  bites  him, 

20  Is  not  the  day  of  Jehovah  darkness  and  not  light, 
And  gloom  without  any  brightness  ? 

21  I  hate,  I  despise  your  feasts,^^ 

And  take  no  delight  in  your  assemblies. 

22  For  if  ye  offer  me  burnt-olFerings, 
Your  food-offerings  I  will  not  accept, 

And  the  thank-offering  of  your  failings  I  will  not  regard. 

23  Take  away  from  me  the  noise  of  your  songs, 
And  the  playing  of  your  harps  I  will  not  hear. 

24  And  let  judgment  roll  on  like  water. 

And  righteousness  like  an  inexhaustible  stream.^* 

25  Did  ye  offer  me  sacrifices  and  food-offerings 

In  the  wilderness  forty  years,  O  house  of  Israel  ? 
(No)  but  ye  bore  the  tent  of  your  king  ^® 
And  the  pedestal  of  your  images, 


34  AMOS. 

The  star  of  your  God, 
Which  ye  made  for  yourselves. 
27  Therefore  will  I  carry  you  away  captive  beyond  Damascus,^* 
Saith  Jehovah,  whose  name  is  God  of  hosts. 

TEXTUAL  ANB  GRAAIMATICAL. 
p  Ter.  1.  —  n3^p    is  the  word  used  to  denote  Darid's  dirge  over  Saul  and  Jonathan,  2  Sam.  i.  17.     It  is  here  In  »pp* 
■lico  with  12"T.] 

TT 

2  Ver.  2. —  niyt23,  E.  V.  forsaken  is  quite  inadequate.  Targum  and  Vulgate  hare  cast  down,  but  better  is  the  lifr 
•ral  meaning  given  above  —  stretched  out,  and  therefore  prostrate  and  helpless. 

8  Ver.  3.  —  The  numerals  define  more  closely  the  manner  of  the  going  forth,  i.  e.  to  war. 

4  Ver.  4.  —  The  two  imperatives  by  a  usage  common  in  all  languages,  express  command  and  result ;  e.  g.,  Latin,  divuU 
It  impera. 

6  Ver.  6.  —  There  is  in  H  vH"*  71/3  '373,  a  play  upon  words  which  cannot  be  expressed  in  English.  A  eimilaz 
paronomasia  is  suggested  in  the  last  clause,  cf.  Hos.  iv.  16.  [Pusey  offers,  as  illustrative  parallels,  "  Paris  p6rira,"  or 
"  London  is  undone."]. 

6  Ver.  6.  —  n^!3ST    cannot  be  rendered  as  in  E.  V.  "  and  devour,"  as  if  Jehovah  were  the  subject. 

T  :  IT 

7  Ver.  8.  —  n^'^S,  the  crowd,  is  the  Seven  Stars  or  Pleiades.  7^D3,  the  fool,  but  according  to  the  old  interpreters, 
[whom  Furst  follows]  the  giant,  is  Orion.  Both  constellations  are  mentioned  together  in  Job  ix.  9  ;  xxxviii.  31.  The  con- 
nection between  vers.  7  and  8  is.  They  are  acting  in  this  atrocious  way,  whereas  Jehovah  is  the  Almighty  and  can  bring 
(udden  destruction  upon  them. 

8  Ver.  9.  —  3"^  V^tt,  causes  to  break  in.  [Following  an  Arabic  analogy,  Keil  and  Wordsworth  suppose  an  allusion  to 
the  swiftness  of  lightning,  expressed  in  the  version   by  flask.     Pusey  follows  Aquila  and  Jerome,  and  renders  mcUeeth,  to 

itnile.  The  E.  V.  followed  a  conjecture  of  Kimchi,  and  is  clearly  wrong,  besides  quite  needlessly  turning  ^ti7  in  both 
members  from  an  abstract  into  a  concrete  noun.] 

9  Ver.  10.  —  n''D'^X3.  Not  merely  a  judge  acting  officially,  but  "  any  one  who  befbre  a  tribunal  lifts  up  his  voice 
•gainst  acts  of  iigustice."  Cf.  Is.  xxix.  21. 

10  Vet.  11.  —  Dtt^iZ,  an-.  Xey.,a  variant  orthography  fbr  DD"i3.  Fiirst  derives  it  from  t£?iZ,  '•  ?•  ti"S3,  to  b« 
loathsome,  h.  bad.  Hiph.,  to  bring  evil  upon. 

11  Ver.    12.  —  "'T^i^.    This  and  the  following  participle  belong  to  the  suffixes  in  the  nouns  preceding. 

12  Ver.    16.  —  To  proclaim  mourning  to  the  husbandman  =  to  call  him  to  mourning. 

18  Ver.  21.  —  D^Sn  are  the  great  yearly  festivals.  nlT*^  is  of  uncertain  meaning,  commonly  explained, /Mftt'« 
•ssemblies.  Cf.  Joel  i.  14.  [All  agree  that  it  denotes  convocations  in  connection  with  religious  observances,  whether  peni- 
tential or  otherwise.]  JT^'^S  lit.  to  smell,  is  an  expression  of  satisfaction,  in  allusion  to  "  the  odour  of  delight "  which 
Mcended  to  God  from  the  burning  sacrifice.    Cf.  Lev.  xxvi.  31 ;  Gen.  viii.  21 ;  Ephes.  v.  2. 

l*  Ver.  24.  —  p'T'S.  The  later  critics  give  the  primary  meaning  as  constant,  (Aiding,  and  hence  when  applied  t« 
■treams,  inexhaustible. 

16  Ver.  26.  — The  words  here  are  difficult,  since  i^^2D  and  ]^*D  are  air.  Key.  Perhaps  they  are  proper  names  of 
idols,  so  that  the  adjoining  words  are  in  apposition,  and  we  should  render  —  Sikkuth,  your  king,  and  Chinn,  your  image. 
So  Luther,  and  of  later  critics,  Fiirst.  The  name  Sikkuth  (in  Syriac  with  another  pointing^  7^**3»  Chevan)  has  been 
explained  to  mean  Saturn,  who  indeed  in  Arabic  is  called  Kaiman,  but  it  is  not  certain  that  this  did  not  originate  from  the 
passage  before  us,  and  therefore  "  it  has  no  more  worth  than  that  of  an  exegetical  conjecture  "  (Keil. )  The  LXX.,  chang- 
ing the  word,  make  out  of  "}^"^3  an  idol  'Pai(|)af  (Acts  vii.  43,  Pe|u.</)a»'),  the  meaning  of  which  is  equally  uncertain,  since 
the  name  does  not  occur  elsewhere  in  the  LXX.,  or  in  the  writings  founded  upon  that  version.  Keil  therefore  conjectures 
an  exchange  of  letters  ;  instead  of  7VD  they  read  Tij^"1.  Then  the  plural  QD'^Qv^  becomes  difficult,  for  although 
Fiir»t  says  that  D^C 71,  is.  like  □'^^•1v2,  C*'2-1|9l*'',  used  here  as  a  singular  for  an  idol,  that  is  a  mere  assertion 
Naturally  then  the  appellative  H^iS  would  belong  to  both  the  proper  names.  But  that  7^4  3311^  is  not  to  be 
coordinated  with  the  two  preceding  phrases,  is  plain  firom  the  omission,  first  of  the  JH^  which  stands  beiore  each  of 
those  clauses,  and  then,  of  the  T   by  which  they  are  closely  bound  together. 

More  probable  then  is  the  appellative  view  of  Sikkuth  and  Chiun.     The  former  from   ^!3D,  to  cover,  hence  a  covering, 

a  booth.  So  the  LXX.,  o-Kjjn).  (But  they  improperly  take  DpP  -Kj  as  a  proper  name, tov  fioAc'x-)  Therefore,  "tent 
of  your  king,"  meaning  doubtless  a  movable  shrine  in  which  the  image  of  the  god  was  kept ;  such  as,  according  to 
Herod   ii.  63,  and  Died.  Sic.  i.  97  were  used  by  the  Egyptians.    Chiun  is  correspondingly  explained  as  pedestal,  from 

73s,  and  allied  to  ^p  and  773113X3,  therefore,  the  pedestal  or  framework  of  your  images,  that  by  which  they  wer« 
tarried  about.  What  follows  is  to  be  considered  as  in  explanatory  apposition,  viz.  the  star  of  your  god  =  the  star  who 
wa£  your  god.  Undoubtedly  even  this  explanution  has  great  difficulties.  [But  still  it  is  easier  than  the  others  which 
have  been  proposed,  and  is  sustained  by  the  sanction  of  Ribera,  Junius,  Gesenius,  Hengstenberg,  Keil,  and  Wordsworth.' 

In  any  c.a!?e  we  must  understand  by  I33"i3  the  image  of  a  star,  for  the  carrying  it  about  is  inconsistent  with  its  beini 
%a  iictnal  star, —  which  ye  have  made  refers  either  to  this  star-image  or  to  ''  your  god." 

16  Ver.  27.  —  pti7ST^   rtS^nO.    From  a  distsince  in  respect  to  Damascus  =  far  beyond  Damascus 


CHAPTER   V 


35 


EXEGBTICAL  AND  CRITICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-3.  Lament  over  the  fall  of  Israel. 
This  word  is  further  defined  as  a  mournful  song 
or  dirge.  The  song  follows  in  ver.  2.  The  virgin 
expresses  the  fact  that  the  daughter  of  Israel  had 
hitherto  been  uiicoiii]uerLd  (Is.  xxiii.  12).  This 
now  should  hive  an  end.  Vers.  3  briefly  explains 
the  dirge.  Israel  will  perish  in  war  even  to  a  very 
fcmall  remnant. 

2.  Vers.  4-17.  The  deeper  ground  of  the  dirge; 
For  Israel  might  easily  be  saved  if  they  would  seek 
the  Lord,  but  this  they  Avill  not  do. 

(a.)  Vers.  4-6.  What  God  desires  is  that  they 
should  seek  Him  and  forsake  idolatry.  To  live 
means  in  the  first  instance  to  remain  in  life,  but 
naturally  includes  the  whole  welfare  of  the  state, 
its  independence,  etc.  G-ilgal  and  Bethel,  so  far 
from  helping  those  who  resorted  to  them,  should 
themselves  perish.  Beersheba,  in  Southern  Judaja, 
must  have  been  a  place  of  idolatrous  worship,  to 
which  people  from  the  tsn  tribes  resorted,  and  in 
so  doing  passed  over  the  boundaries  of  their  king- 
dom. 

Ver.  6.  Once  more  is  the  seeking  of  Jehovah  de- 
clared to  be  the  means  of  life,  and  more  strictly, 
the  means  of  averting  the  judgment.  The  house 
of  Joseph  =Ephraim,  the  whole  kingdom  being 
named  from  the  principal  tribe.  Bethel,  as  the 
chief  sent  of  wor'^ltip,  was  the  central  point  of  the 
kingdom. 

(b.)  Vers.  7-9.  By  a  peculiar  as)/ndeton  the  two 
parties  are  placed  in  vivid  contrast  with  each  other ; 
the  people  in  their  ungodly  course,  and  Jehovah 
in  his  omnipotence,  naturally  with  the  implied 
thought,  such  a  God  can  punish  —  ought  to  be 
feared. 

Ver.  7.  ■Wormwood  as  a  bitter  plant  is  an  image 
of  bitter  wrong,  as  in  vi.  12;  righteousness  there- 
fore is  conceived  as  a  sweet  fragrant  plant  (cf 
Deut.  xxix.  19).  Casting  down  to  the  earth 
=  trampling  under  foot. 

Ver.  8.  Turns  the  shadow  of  death,  etc.  As 
ihese  words  are  preceded  by  a  reference  to  the  stars 
and  followed  by  a  mention  of  natural  phenomena, 
they  are  certainly  to  be  understood  in  tiie  same 
way,  the  aim  of  the  entire  passage  being  to  cite  the 
obvious  manifestations  God  thus  makes  of  himself, 
in  support  of  the  foregoing  threatening.  The 
tropical  explanation  —  "  he  changes  the  deepest 
misery  into  prosperity,"  does  not  suit  here,  but 
only  the  natural,  literal  meaning;  although  "the 
shadow  of  death  '  does  uut  in  itself  signify  the 
regularly  recurring  shades  of  night,  but  as,  e.  </.  in 
Job  XXV.  1 7,  the  appalling  gloom  of  night.  Here 
iiightin  general  is  set  forth  under  this  point  of  view, 
and  is  compared  with  the  shadow  of  death.  For 
its  gloom  is  conceived  of  as  au  image  of  the  divine 
judgment,  of  the  hiding  of  God's  face.  But  in  any 
case  the  energy  of  tlie  divine  pov/er  in  turning 
darkness  into  light  is  rendered  so  much  the  more 
prominent.  [Keil  and  Pusey  prefer  the  figurative 
meaning,  which  indeed  is  more  in  accordance  with 

the  constant  usage  of  ^*^).^  <"■=>  but  is  certainly 
unnatural  in  this  place  in  view  of  the  literal  refer- 
ences before  and  after.]  — Who  calls  to  the 
waters,  etc.,  can  refer  only  to  fearful  inundations 
by  waves  of  the  sea.  [The  allusion  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Flood  can  hardly  Le  overlooked.  Keil.] 
Ver.  9.  Whether  the  evil  mentioned  here  is  to  be 
riewed  as  caused  like  the  foregoing  by  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  power  in  the  natural  world,  is  doubt- 


ful, but  not  improbable.  The  reference  might  bt 
to  an  earthquake  or  a  storm. 

(c.)  Vers.  10-13.  They  hate  the  reprover  etc. 
The  prophet  returns  to  the  conduct  of  Israel,  whicb 
must  be  punished. 

Ver.  10.  "  In  the  gate,"  shows  that  the  reference 
is  to  judicial  proceedings.  "  The  reprover,"  there- 
fore, and  "  the  one  speaking  uprightly  "  cannot  be 
understood  of  the  prophet.-^,  howover  natural  .such 
reference  would  be  on  other  grounds. 

Ver.  11.  Take  a  gift  =  do  him  justice  only 
when  they  are  paid  for  it.  Houses  of4iewn  stone 
are  costly  dwellings,  Is.  is..  10.  The  threat  is  bor- 
rowed from  Deut.  xxviii.  30. 

Ver.  12.  Who  take  a  bribe,  may  either  indi- 
cate a  fresh  sin,  i.  e.,  taking  atonement  money  in 
satisfaction  for  a  murder,  against  the  law  in  Num. 
xxxv.  31 ,  or  may  belong  to  the  foregoing,  thus,  ye 
who  oppress  (imprison)  the  righteous  and  then 
take  a  ransom,  i.  e.,  will  release  him  only  for  a  ran- 
som. The  former  is  more  consistent  with  the  pre- 
vailing use  of  the  Hebrew  term.  [So  Pusey  and 
Keil ;  but  certainly  the  word  in  one  instance  at  least, 
1  Sam.  xii.  3,  is  used  to  denote  any  sort  of  bribe.] 

Ver.  13.  Manifestly  belongs  to  what  precedes, 
since  it  further  describes  the  period  of  corruption. 
He  who  has  prudence  =  whose  counsel  is  whole- 
some, will  be  compelled  to  silence  (cf.  ver.  10,  the 
upright  speaker  is  abhorred)  ;  instead  of  attentive 
hearing  he  has  only  violence  to  expect. 

(d.)  V^ers.  14-17.  Once  more  the  way  of  deliv- 
erance is  pointed  out,  at  least  fur  a  remnant.  But 
for  the  nuiss,  nothing  is  to  be  expected  but  deep 
sorrow  on  all  sides. 

Ver.  14.  And  that  so  .  .  .  with  you  as  ye  say. 
That  is.  Then  will  that  be  really  the  case  which  ye 
now  vainly  imagine,  —  that  God  is  with  you. 

Ver.  15.  Set  up  justice,  etc.  =  maintain  a 
righteous  administration  of  justice.  Then  possibly 
there  may  be  favor  for  a  remnant.  This  does  not 
refer  to  the  existing  condition  of  the  ten  tribes  as 
reduced  by  Syrian  conquests,  for  the  kingdom  un- 
der Jeroboam  II.  had  recovered  its  former  terri- 
torial limits.  The  remnant  I'efers  to  that  which 
would  be  left  in  future  after  the  great  chastisement 
impending.  See  a  similar  allusion  in  reference  to 
.Judah  in  Joel  iii.  5,  and  Is.  vi.  13,  x.  21,  23. 

Ver.  16.  Therefore,  introducing  the  threat, 
presupposes  a  denunciation  of  sins.  The  entire 
chapter  is  full  of  this,  and  therefore  naturally,  vers. 
16,  17  do  not  refer  simply  to  vers.  14,  15.  Yet 
these  latter  do,  indirectly  at  least,  contain  a  reproof. 
The  warning  implies  that  the  warned  are  not  seek- 
ing good,  etc.  But  only  Mich  s-'ckiug  can  save, 
and  it  is  only  too  certain  that  these  are  not  doing 
it ;  thei-efore,  etc.,  —  general  mouruing.  The  sense 
is,  on  every  hand  there  will  be  dead  to  weep  for. 
There  wiil  be  repeated  what  happened  in  Egypt  at 
the  smiting  of  the  first-born  ;  as  the  words  I  will 
pass  through  the  midst  of  thee,  allude  to  Ivxod. 
xii.  12.  As  in  the  cities,  so  in  the  land,  there  will 
be  such  a  death-wail.  And  they  call  is  to  be 
supplied  bef  ire  the  last  clause.  The  skilled  in  la- 
menting, are  the  professional  wailing  women  who 
were  employed  at  funerals. 

Ver.    17.     Even  in   the  vineyards,  usually  the 

f laces   of  liveliest  joy,  wailing   should   resound. 
■'  A  vintage  not  of  wine  but  of  woe."  —  Pusey.] 
3.  Vers."l8-27.     Woe  to  the  confident  who  de 
ceive  themselves  with  false  hopes. 

(a.)  Vers.  18-20.  Woe  to  those,  etc.   It  would 
be  foolish  to  expect  help  from  the  day  of  the  Lord. 
Ver.  IS.     Who  desire  the  day  of  the  Lord- 
Since  they  fancied  that  the  carnal  Israel  and  the 


36 


AMOS. 


true  people  of  God  were  identical,  this  day  must 
of  course  bring  to  them  deliverance  from  all  dis- 
tress, ai  d  also  power  and  glory.  But  it  is  made 
clear  that  tliis  day  to  them  can  only  bring  harm, 
can  only  be  a  day  of  destruction  (Joel  ii.  2). 
Therefore,  should  they  escape  one  danger  (from  a 
foe),  they  would  only  the  more  certainly  fall  into 
another.  This  in  ver.  19  is  set  forth  by  a  figure 
taken  from  common  life,  the  meaning  of  which  is 
clear. 

Ver.  20.  Once  more  is  the  threatening  charac- 
ter of  the  day  of  the  Lord  aflBrmed  and  repeated. 

(b.)  Veis.  21-27.  Even  with  festivals  and  sac- 
rifices the  people  do  not  avert  the  judgment.  For 
worship,  rendered  as  a  mere  opus  operatum,  as  it  is 
by  Israel,  is  worthless  before  God,  and  even  offen- 
sive to  Him.  Since  the  question  concerns  the  ten 
tribes,  we  may  assume  from  the  following  repre- 
sentation that  the  worship  they  rendered  was  as 
to  ritual  substantially  conformed  to  that  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

Ver.  22.  For.  God's  displeasure  at  the  feasts, 
etc.,  arise  from  his  dislike  of  the  sacrifices.  The 
construction  is  interrupted,  the  first  clause  having 
no  apodosis ;  but  this  is  easily  supplied  from  the 
second;  and  the  sense  is,  I  will  accept  neither 
your  burnt  oflTerings  nor  your  meat  offerings. 

"Ver,  23.  The  singing  is  c/intemptuously  called 
a  noise  of  songs. 

Ver.  24.  Such  worship,  instead  of  averting  the 
judgment,  rather  provokes  its  full  execution.  It 
should  pour  over  the  land,  like  a  flowing  stream. 
It  is  wrong  to  interpret  the  verse  [with  Pusey,  et 
al.]  as  an  exhortation  to  the  people  to  practice 
judgment  and  righteousness.  The  image  of  a 
flood  of  waters  is  much  too  strong  for  such  a 
thought ;  it  points  rather  to  an  act  of  God.  [Yet, 
one  may  ask,  is  the  expression  any  stronger  here 
than  in  the  cognate  passage  in  Isaiah  xlviii.  18, 
''  then  had  thy  peace  been  as  a  river  and  thy 
righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the  sea  1  "  But  the 
connection  manifestly  favors  the  author's  view.] 

(c.)  Vers.  25-27.  Did  ye  offer,  etc.  No  won- 
der that  such  a  judgment  impends  over  Israel. 
From  of  old  they  had  been  recreant  to  their  God. 
Their  present  offensive  worship  was  in  reality  only 
a  continuation  of  the  idolatry  practiced  in  the 
wilderness. 

Ver.  2.5.  Did  ye  offer  to  me  sacrifices  and 
food-offerings  (=bloody  and  unbloody  oblations)? 
The  question  implies  a  negative  answer.  The 
people  therefore  are  described  as  having  omitted 
the  sacrifices  to  Jehovah  for  forty  years,  which  cer- 
tainly could  be  affirme<l  of  the  race  as  a  whole, 
even  if  there  were  no  express  statements  to  that 
effect  in  the  Pentateuch.  Still,  see  e.  c/.  Josh.  v. 
5-7,  for  the  neglect  of  circumcision.  While  the 
people  thus  omitted  the  service  of  Jehovah,  they 
carried  on  in  place  of  it,  idol-worship. 

Ver.  2G.  And — namely,  in  place  of  bringing 
me  the  appointed  offerings  —  ye  bore  the  tent  of, 
etc.  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  The  idolatry  cen- 
sured by  the  prophet  here  is  of  Egyptian  origin. 
Certainly  the  worship  of  the  sun  was  widely  diffused 
there,  but  we  cannot  affirm  its  nature  more  pre- 
risely.  The  existence  of  a  literal  god  of  the  stars 
cannot  be  historically  sustained. 

Ver  27.  Afler  Israel's  apostasy  had  been  estab- 
lished from  the  history  of  their  forefathers,  the 
judgment  (cf.  ver.  24)  is  briefly  described  as  a  lit- 
eral carrying  away.  Even  more  plainly  does  it 
appear  that  the  prophet  in  his  threatenings  is  think- 
ing of  Assyria  as  the  power  from  which  the  down- 
fall of  Israel  is  to  come.    Far  beyond  Damascus, 


is  only  a  sort  of  euphemism  for  Assyria.  Tha 
conclusion  is,  as  in  the  case  of  the  preceding  chai)- 
ter,  the  phrase,  Jehovah,  whose  name  is  the  God 
of  hosts,  a  token  that  here  another  division  euih 

[The  Quotation  by  Stephen.  In  Acts  vii.  42,  4-3, 
the  proto-martyr  is  represented  as  quoting  vers.  2tj, 
27,  in  terms  which  vary  considerably  from  our  texl. 
The  explanation  is  as  old  as  Jerome.  "  This  is  to 
be  observed  in  all  Holy  Scripture,  that  Apostles  aud 
apostolic  men,  in  citing  testimonies  from  the  (Jld 
Testament,  regard  not  the  words  but  the  meaning, 
nor  do  they  follow  the  words,  step  by  step,  provided 
they  do  not  depart  from  the  meaning."  (Quoted 
by  Pusey  in  he.)  Stephen  quoted  from  the  Sep- 
tuagint,  because  its  variations,  whether  real  or 
seeming,  made  no  difference  as  to  the  force  of  the 
passage  in  establishing  the  fact  that  Israel  in  the 
wilderness  worshipped  false  gods.  Stephen  alsc 
substitutes  Babylon  for  Damascus  in  the  closing 
clause  of  the  quotation  ;  but  the  idea  is  the  same  ; 
for  the  prediction  turned  not  upon  the  name,  but 
the  fact,  namely,  that  God  would  scatter  them  into 
distant  lands.  Stephen  was  not  guilty  of  an  error 
or  an  inadvertence,  but  simply  brought  the  proph- 
ecy, without  any  real  change  of  meaning,  into 
agreement  with  the  historical  associations  of  the 
people  in  relation  to  the  Babylonish  exile.] 


DOCTRINAL  AND  MOKAL. 

1 .  The  prophet  himself  calls  this  chapter  a  wail 
over  the  house  of  Israel.  Now  as  in  such  a  wail  the 
existing  sorrow  is  touchingly  expanded,  but  with 
it  whatever  can  serve  fur  its  i)resent  and  future 
amelioration,  so  in  this  lament  the  tcrribleness  of 
sin  and  of  the  destruction  to  which  it  leads  is  sadly 
depicted,  but  at  the  same  time  are  interwoven 
warnings  to  seek  God  so  that  in  some  measure  the 
evil  maj' be  abated.  (Rieger.j  It  is  indeed  remark- 
able ;  from  what  has  gone  before  one  would  think 
Israel's  fate  decided,  that  all  admonition  and  warn- 
ing were  vain  and  nothing  but  punishment  re- 
mained ;  and  yet  this  chapter,  fur  more  than  those 
which  precede,  gives  admonition  with  a  promise 
annexed.  The  sharper  the  threatening,  the  more 
the  way  of  escape  is  pointed  out,  for  "  God  desires 
not  that  any  should  perish."  Certainly  it  is  tha 
only  way ;  therefore  the  admonition  only  statea 
more  emphatically  the  complaint;  this  only  can 
save  you,  but  you  will  none  of  it. 

2.  "  Seek  the  Lord  that  ye  may  live."  Ecjually 
simple  and  definite  are  the  monition  and  the  ))r()iii- 
ise.  Man  knows  what  he  has  to  do,  and  wliat  ro 
expect.  Not  merely  is  warning  given,  but  also  jiiom- 
ise  and  the  reverse.  The  gain  is  certain  if  one  ful- 
fills the  condition,  but  the  condition  is  indispen.^^able. 
Yet  how  little  is  asked  —  only  to  seek  the  Lord, — 
and  at  the  same  time  how  much  !  And  on  the  other 
hand,  how  little  apparently  is  promised  —  to  live  — 
and  yet  how  much  !  Warning  and  promise  there- 
fore are  connected  together  not  merely  by  an  out- 
ward, casual  juxtaposition,  but  by  an  inward  co- 
herence. The  result  always  follows  upon  the  per- 
formance of  the  conditions ;  for  it  is  the  Lord  from 
whom  life  and  death  proceed.  Hence  no  other  con- 
dition  for  the  attainment  of  life  can  be  imposed 
than  just  this.  Seek  the  Lord ;  and  no  smaller 
gain  can  be  promised  to  the  fulfillment  of  that  con- 
dition than  this,  —  Life.  How  strong  a  testimony 
for  the  truth  of  religion  is  contained  in  a  single 
maxim  of  this  kind,  and  that  one  recorded  in  the 
Scri])tures,  even  in  the  Old  Testament !  The  con- 
dition imposed  is  in  the  first  instance  religious  — 


CIL/S-PTER  V. 


3V 


power  of  the  trdp^  is  broken,  so  that  "  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  is  fulfilled  in  us  who  wi  k  QOt  afte? 
the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit." 

5.  Upon  the  day  of  the  Lord,  see  Joel  ii.  Doc- 
trinal and  Moral,  1.  The  reproof  which  Amoa 
utters,  stands,  as  we  may  confidently  assume,  in 
close  relation  to  Joel,  i.  e.,  refers  to  an  abuse  which 
had  been  made  of  Joel's  announcement  of  the  day 
of  the  Lord.  It  appears  here  ao^ain  that  this  day 
is  essentially  one  of  judgment.  It  certainly  brings 
to  Israel  as  God's  people  deliverance  from  theii 
foes,  but  still  only  in  so  far  as  they  are  really  God's 
people.  So  far  as  they  are  unfiiithful  and  put 
themselves  on  a  level  with  the  heathen,  that  day  is 
for  them  one  of  judgment,  since  it  brings  destruc- 
tion upon  all  that  is  ungodly  and  anti-godly.  The 
name,  Israel,  therefore,  gives  no  license.  Only  in 
this  sense  is  the  announcement  made.  The  jieople 
saw  in  this  desired  period  one  that  would  over- 
throw their  foes  and  deliver  them  fnin  their  pres- 
ent distresses,  without  remembering  that  their  guilt 
caused  these  distresses,  and  that  they  deserved  pun- 
ishment rather  than  deliverance.  In  this  view,  the 
announcement  of  the  last  day  is  still  gladly  wel- 
comed. Men  assign  the  evil,  the  punishment,  to 
others,  especially  to  those  by  whom  they  suffer, 
but  claim  the  good  for  themselves,  and  anticipate 
the  end  of  all  sorrows  and  the  dawn  of  cloudless 
prosperity.  Hence  results  the  security  which  is 
directly  opposite  to  the  watching  and  praying  so 
earnestly  enjoined  by  our  Lord.  Men  then  may 
long  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  as  a  day  of  deliver- 
ance, but  let  them  look  well  to  the  way  in  which 
they  regard  it,  and  sec  that  this  day  finds  them 
prepared  and  true  to  the  Lord,  so  that  He  may 
recognize  them  as  his  own.  Certainly  it  is  not  to 
be  longed  for  in  a  spirit  of  revenge,  i.  e.,  in  the 
view  that  the  quicker  it  comes  the  sooner  will  God's 
judgments  fall  upon  a  godless  world.  The  true 
Christian  rather  appreciates  the  wisdom  and  long- 
suffering  with  which  God  forbears  to  judge,  and 
rejoices  that  room  is  left  for  the  conversion  of 
God's  foes,  even  if  meanwhile  he  is  to  suffer  by 
them.  He  who  with  carnal  impatience  wishes  for 
God's  judgments  upon  others,  will  experience  them 
himself,  and  truly  in  a  different  way  from  that  of 
God's  people.  Empty  forms  and  lip-service,  how- 
ever zealously  pursued,  are  no  defense  against  the 
divine  judgments,  and  no  earnest  of  the  salvation 
which  proceeds  thence  for  the  true  people  of  God 
(See  also  under  Homiletical  and  Practical.) 


"  Seek  the  Lord,  and  cleave  not  to  idols  "  —  (ver. 
5,  also  vers.  25,  26),  but  this  naturally  involves 
also  one  of  an  ethical  character.  This  is  expressly 
stated,  in  accordance  with  the  rigidly  ethical  char- 
acter of  the  Old  Testament,  when  afterwards  (ver. 
14)  the  demand  is  changed  into,  "  Seek  good  and 
not  evil,"  with  the  same  promise  attached  —  "  that 
ye  may  live."  Only  he  therefore  seeks  the  Lord  in 
truth,  who  seeks  good,  and  vice  versa.  And  this 
seeking  of  good  is  more  closely  defined  as  hating 
evil  and  loving  good.  Both  must  concur  ;  then 
only  is  there  a  real  seeking  of  good ;  for  God  does 
the  one  as  well  as  the  other.  Evil  must  be  earn- 
estly repelled  and  shunned,  otherwise  the  seeking 
of  good  lacks  truth  and  energy ;  in  like  manner 
must  good  be  grasped  at,  otherwise  the  attempt 
misses  its  aim  and  soon  becomes  fruitless.  Piety 
must  have  an  ethical  element,  must  show  itself  by 
hating  evil  and  loving  good.  A  mere  outward  re- 
ligiou-sness,  however  zealous  in  ceremonies,  is  worth- 
less in  the  eyes  of  God.  Amos  pronounces  most 
decidedly  against  a  sacrificial  service  destitute  of  a 
corresponding  disposition  of  heart,  where  the  offer- 
ings and  gifts  are  not  the  expression  of  inward  de- 
votion and  obedience  to  God. 

3.  The  "  good  "  which  men  are  to  love  and  to 
do,  appears  here  continually  as  rectitude,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  prevailing  unrighteousness,  "  the  turn- 
ing justice  into  wormwood,  and  casting  righteous- 
ness down  to  the  earth."  This  is  the  least  that  can 
be  expected,  yet  in  another  sense  it  is  the  most  im- 
portant, for  in  vain  do  we  look  for  the  other,  and, 
so  to  speak,  rarer  duties  from  the  neglecter  of  jus- 
tice, whereas  he  who  sincerely  observes  this  will 
soon  reach  something  farther.  Justice  is  the  foun- 
dation of  social  order ;  when  it  is  wanting,  all  in 
the  end  comes  to  ruin. 

4.  "  What  the  law  could  not  do  in  that  it  was 
Tveak  through  the  flesh"  (Rom.  viii.  3),  appears 
clearly  here  as  it  does  in  the  other  prophets.  Clear- 
ly and  frankly  the  law  declares  God's  will,  and 
tells  man  what  he  ought  to  do ;  notwithstanding, 
sin  only  increases,  and  apostasy  becomes  worse. 
For  the  law  cannot  along  with  its  "  Thou  shalt  " 
give  to  man  the  "  I  will."     Rather  on  account  of 
his  inborn  depravity,  its  commands  and  prohibi- 
tions stir  up  the  motions  of  sin,  and  lead  them  to 
a  bolder  outbreak.     Then  surely  the  whole  curse 
of  the  law  must  at  last  light  upon  the  transgressor ; 
and  the  prophets  announce  this  through  the  judg- 
ments with  which  they  threaten   the  disobedient 
people.     Thus  the  insufficiency  of  a  legal  position 
is  ever  more  plainly  set  forth.    The  law  cannot 
give  a  new  heart  —  and  this  is  really  the  question 
if  sin  is  to  be  checked  and  perfect  obedience  se- 
cured,—  but  grace  alone  can,  full  and  free  grace. 
Israel  had  already,  from  the  time  of  the  Exodus, 
experienced  many  acts  of  grace  from  God,  among 
which  very  properly  the  giving  of  the   law  itself 
may   be   ranked.     But  these   were  only  benefits 
which  address  men  from  the  outside,  real  benefits 
indeed,  in  which  God  expressed  his  love,  but  only 
in  order  thus  to  render  his  commands  more  accept- 
able.    But  there  was  wanting  the  peculiar,  unpar- 
alleled manifestation  of  love  which   is  made   in 
Christ.     He  bore  and  suffered  the  full  curse  of  the 
Law ;  He  took  upon  Himself  the  entire  condemna- 
aon  pronounced  upon  the  transgressor.     But  this 
resulted  in  the  largest  grace  to  men,  since  He  with- 
out sin  took  upon  Himself  that  curse,  and  thus 
freed  us  from  it;  and  through   the  Holy  Spirit 
streaming  into  men  united  by  faith  in  Him,  there  ^ 
is  created  a  new  heart  which  wills  what  it  should,   of  disobedience.     As  the  ancient   Christian  poet 
which  Hates  evil  and  loves  good,  and  in  which  the  I  says.  If  the  Lord  is  against  us,  rur  walls  become 


HOMILETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL. 

Ver.  1.  .4s  a  lamentation.  God  is  so  gracious 
that  He  not  only  shows  us  our  sins,  but  even 
mourns  when  He  must  punish  us  for  them  (Luke 
xix.  41).  The  accusation  before  punishment  be- 
comes a  lament  afterwards.  Did  we  heed  God's 
charges,  we  should  not  need  to  hear  his  lament. 
[The  bewailed  who  know  not  why  they  are  be- 
wailed, are  the  more  miserable  because  they  know 
not  their  own  misery.     Dion.] 

Vers.  2,  3.  God's  judgments  increase  in  sever- 
ity as  they  go  on ;  if  the  earlier  and  milder  are 
fruitless,  at  last  comes  total  destruction.  (Pf. 
B.  W.)  [Fallen.  A  dirge  like  that  of  David  over 
Saul  and  Jonathan,  over  what  was  once  lovely 
and  mighty  but  had  perished.  (Pusey.)  God  had 
said,  How  should  one  chase  a  thousand !  but  the 
blessings  of  obedience  are  turned  into  the  curses 


38 


AMOS. 


cobwebs ;  but  if  the  Lord  is  with  ns,  our  cobwebs 
become  walls.  (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  4.  Seek  me  and  live.  Four  times  repeated 
(vers.  6,  8,  14).  Wonderful  coDciseness  of  the 
Word  of  God,  which  in  two  words  comprises  the 
whole  of  the  creature's  duty  and  his  hopes,  his 
time  and  his  eternity.  .  .  The  object  of  the  search 
is  God  himself.  Seek  me,  i.  e.,  seek  God  for  him- 
6fclf,  not  for  anything  out  of  Him,  not  for  his  gifts, 
not  for  anything  to  be  loved  with  Him.  This  is 
not  to  seek  Him  purely.  All  is  found  in  Him,  but 
by  seeking  Him  first,  and  then  loving  Him  in  all, 
and  all  in  Him.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  5.  Seek  not  Bethel.  Israel  pretended  to 
seek  God  in  Bethel.  Amos  sets  the  two  seekings 
as  incompatible.  The  god  worshipped  at  Bethel 
was  not  the  one  God.  To  seek  God  there  was  to 
lose  Him.  Pass  not  to  Beersheba.  Jeroboam  I. 
pretended  that  it  was  too  much  for  Israel  to  go  to 
Jerusalem.  And  yet  Israel  thought  it  not  too 
much  to  go  to  Beersheba,  perhaps  four  times  far- 
ther ofi:  So  much  pains  will  men  take  in  self- 
willed  service,  and  yet  not  see  that  it  takes  away 
the  excuse  for  neglecting  the  true.  —  Pusey.  Gil- 
gal  shall  surely,  etc.  Literally,  "  the  place  of  roll- 
ing away,"  so  called  because  there  God  rolled  away 
the  reproach  of  Egypt  from  Israel  (Josh.  v.  9). 
"  Shall  be  clean  roUed  away."  This  is  the  law  of 
God's  dealings  with  man.  He  cui'ses  our  blessings 
if  we  do  not  use  them  aright.  Our  holiest  Gilgals 
—  our  sacraments,  our  Scriptures,  our  sermons, 
our  Sundays,  —  which  were  designed  by  God  to  roll 
away  from  us  the  reproach  of  Egypt,  will  be  rolled 
away  from  us  if  we  do  not  use  them  aright ;  and 
will  roll  us  downward  unto  our  destruction. 
Wordsworth.] 

Ver.  6.  The  same  promise  and  the  same  warn- 
ing, —  a  proof  that  there  is  no  other  way  to  life, 
and  also  that  the  warning  cannot  be  given  too 
often,  alas,  is  so  often  in  vain.  Ye  shall  live.  God's 
gracious  promises  must  be  held  before  sinners,  lest 
in  despair  they  go  from  sin  to  sin.  For  how  can 
one  feel  genuine  repentance,  if  he  has  no  hope  1 
[None  to  quench  for  Bethel.  Bethel,  the  centre  of 
their  idol  hopes,  so  far  from  aiding  them  then,  shall 
not  be  able  to  help  itself,  nor  shall  there  be  any  to 
help  it.  Pusey.]  God's  wrath  is  a  consuming 
tire  ;  only  true  repentance  can  extinguish  it. 

[Ver.  8.  Seek  him  that  maketh,  etc.  Misbelief 
retains  ihe  luimr  God,  but  means  something  quite 
different  from  the  one  true  God.  Men  speak  of 
"  the  Deity"  as  a  sort  of  first  cause  of  all  things, 
but  lose  sight  of  the  personal  God  who  has  made 
known  his  will.  "  The  Deity  "  is  no  object  of  love 
or  fear.  For  a  First  Cause  who  is  conceived  of  as 
no  more,  is  an  abstraction,  not  God.  God  is  the 
cause  ol  ail  causes.  All  things  are,  and  have  their 
relations  to  each  other  as  cause  and  effect,  because 
He  so  created  them.  A  "  great  first  cause  "  who 
is  thought  of  only  as  a  cause,  is  a  mere  fiction  of 
man's  imagining,  an  attempt  to  appear  to  account 
for  the  mysteries  of  being,  without  owning  that 
since  our  being  is  from  God,  we  are  responsible 
creatures  who  iice  to  yield  to  Him  an  account  of 
the  use  of  our  being  which  He  gave  us.  In  like 
way  probably  Israel  had  so  mixed  up  the  thought 
of  God  with  nature  that  it  had  lost  sight  of  God  as 
distinct  from  the  creation.  And  so  Amos,  after 
appealing  to  tlieir  consciences,  sets  forth  God  to 
hem  as  the  creator,  disposer  of  all  things,  and  the 
)KSt  God  who  redresseth  man's  violence  and  in- 
justice. (Pusey  '  Ye  who  worship  the  stars  are 
rebelling  npaius  Him  who  m.ade  them.  (Words- 
worth.)] 


Ver.  10.  Impatience  at  a  well-meant  and  firieud 
ly  rebuke  is  the  mark  of  an  evil  and  perverse  spirit 
Such  rebuke  should  be  esteemed  a  kindness,  even 
a  balsam  upon  the  head.  On  the  other  hand,  re- 
proof is  to  be  administered  with  discretion.  (Pf. 
B.  W.) 

Vers.  11,  12.  Because  ye  traiiple,  etc.  Men 
should  shun  the  oppression  of  the  poor.  Whence 
comes  the  swift  ruin  of  entire  families  ?  It  is  be- 
cause the  sighing  of  the  poor  before  God  testifies 
against  them.     (Ibid.) 

[Ver.  13.  The  prudent  is  silent.  So  our  Lord 
was  silent  before  his  judges,  for  since  they  would 
not  hear,  his  speaking  would  only  increase  theii 
condemnation.  So  Solomon  said,  "He  that  re 
proveth  a  scomer  getteth  himself  shame."  "  When 
the  wicked  rise,  then  men  hide  themselves."  (Pu- 
sey.) 

Yen.  15.  Hate  evil,  etc.  He  hateth  evil  who  not 
only  is  not  overcome  by  pleasure,  but  hates  its 
deeds ;  and  he  loveth  good  who,  not  unwillingly 
nor  of  necessity  nor  from  fear,  doeth  what  is  good, 
but  because  it  is  good.  (Jerome.)]  To  hate  evil 
and  to  love  good  bcloii^-  together.  (Rieger.)  And 
set  up  justice,  etc.  Justice  is  a  pillar  of  the  s^ate. 
To  set  it  up  when  fallen  is  the  duty  of  all  men,  but 
especially  of  those  in  posts  of  honor  or  profit.  — 
Perhaps,  etc.  Temporal  promises  are  made  with 
an  "  It  may  be,"  and  our  prayers  must  be  made 
accordingly.     (M,  Henry.) 

[Ver.  16.  Therefore  saith  Jehovah,  etc.  For  the 
third  time  here  as  in  the  two  preceding  verses,  Amos 
reminds  them  of  Him  in  whose  name  He  speaks, 
namely,  the  I  Am,  the  self-existent  God,  the  God 
of  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth.  He  who  has  ab- 
solute power  over  liis  creatures  to  dispose  of  them 
as  He  will.  (Pusey.)  Alas,  alas!  The  terrible- 
ness  of  the  prophecy  lies  in  its  truth.  When  war 
pressed  without  on  the  walls  of  Samaria,  and 
within  was  famine  and  pestilence,  woe,  woe,  woe 
must  have  echoed  in  every  street ;  for  in  every 
street  was  death  and  the  fear  of  worse.  Yet  im- 
agine every  sound  of  joy  or  din  or  hum  of  men,  or 
mirth  of  children,  hushed  in  the  streets,  and  woe, 
woe,  going  up  in  one  unmitigated,  unchanging, 
ever-repeated  monotony  of  grief.  Such  were  the 
pi'esent  fruits  of  sin.  Yet  what  a  mere  shadow  of 
the  inward  grief  is  its  outward  utterance!  (Ibid.) 
Call  the  skilled  in  lamenting.  The  same  feeling 
makes  the  rich  now  clothe  their  households  in 
mourning,  which  made  those  of  old  hire  mourners, 
that  all  might  be  in  harmony  with  their  grief. 
[Ibid.) 

Ver.  18.  Woe  to  fhosp  who  dixire,  etc.  A  sim- 
ilar spirit  manifested  itself  in  those  who  said  in 
•Jeremiah's  days,  "The  Temple  of  the  Lord  are 
these"  (vii.  4),  and  who  prided  themselves  on 
their  national  religious  principles,  but  did  not  obey 
the  Lord  of  the  temple,  and  were  therefore  con- 
demned by  the  Prophet.  A  like  temper  was  man- 
ifested after  the  Captivity.  The  Hebrew  nation 
was  eager  for  the  Messiah's  coming  to  the  new- 
built  temple,  but  the  ])rophets  reminded  them  that 
his  coming  would  be  a  day  of  fear  and  woe  for  the 
ungodly.    Mai.  iii.  2.  (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  19.  As  if  a  man  Jieeth  before  the  lion,  etc. 
The  day  of  the  Lord  is  a  d;iy  uf  terror  on  every 
side.  Before  and  behind,  within  and  without, 
abroad  under  the  roof  of  heaven  or  under  the  shel- 
ter of  one's  own,  everywhere  is  terror  and  death. 
(Pusey.) 

Ver.  20.  7s  not  the  day,  etc.  An  appeal  to  men 
themselves,  Is  it  not  so  1  Men's  consciences  are 
tnier  than    their   intellect.     Intellect    canies   tht 


CHAPTER  VI. 


39 


question  out  of  itself  into  the  region  of  surmising 
and  disputim;s.  Conscience  is  compelled  to  re- 
ceive it  back  into  its  own  court  and  to  give  the 
sentence.  Like  the  God  of  the  heathen  f;ible  who 
changed  himself  into  all  sorts  of  forms,  but  when 
he  was  still  held  fast,  gave  at  last  the  true  answer, 
conscience  shrinks  back,  twists,  writhes,  evades, 
turns  away,  but  in  the  end  will  answer  truly  when 
it  must.  The  prophet  then  turns  round  upon  the 
conscience,  and  says,  "Tell  me,  for  you  know." 
{Ibid.) 

Vers.  21,  22.  I  hate,  I  despise,  etc.  Israel  would 
fain  be  conscientious  and  scrupulous.  What  they 
oflFered  was  the  best  of  its  kind ;  whole  burnt  offer- 
ings, fatted  beasts,  full-toned  chorus,  instrumental 
music.  What  was  wanting  to  secure  the  favor  of 
Grod  ?  Love  and  obedience.  And  so  those  things 
by  which  they  hoped  to  propitiate  God  became  the 
object  of  his  displeasure.     (Ibid.) 

Ver.  23.  Take  away  the  noise,  etc.  Here  is  a 
warning  to  all  who  think  to  please  God  by  elabor- 
ate musical  services  in  his  house ;  while  they  do 
not  take  heed  to  worship  Him  with  their  hearts 
and  to  obey  Him  in  their  daily  life.     (Wordsw.) 

Ver.  24.  Did  ye  offer  unto  me,  etc.  The  ten  tribes, 
by  approving  and  copying  the  false  worship  of 
their  forefathers,  made  that  sin  their  own.  As  the 
Church  of  God  is  at  all  times  one  and  the  same, 
BO  that  great  opposite  camp,  the  city  of  the  devil, 
has  a  continuous  existence  through  all  time.  These 
idolaters  were  filling  up  the  measure  of  their  fore- 
fatl^ers,  and  in  the  end  of  those  who  per'shed  in 
the  wilderness  they  might  behold  their  own.  As 
God  rejected  the  divided  service  of  their  forefathers, 
so  He  would  their's.  (Pusey.)  —  Unto  me.  This  is 
emphatic.  If  God  is  not  served  wholly  and  alone, 
He  is  not  served  at  all.  As  Jerome  says.  He  re- 
Mrdeth  not  the  offering,  but  the  will  of  the  offerer. 
[Ibid.) 

Ver.  25.    Which  ye  made  for  yourselves.     This 


was  the  fundamental  fault.  Whereas  God  made 
them  for  Himself,  they  made  for  themselves  gods 
out  of  their  own  mind.  All  idolatry  is  self-Will, 
first  choosing  a  god  and  then  enslaved  Jo  it. 
I  [Ibid.) 

;      Ver.  27.  To  break  the  force  of  the  prophecy  con- 
tained in  this  verse,  De  Wette  sn ys,  "Although  the 
[  kingdom  of  Israel  had  througli  Jeroboam  recov- 
ered its  old  borders,  yet  careless  insolence,  luxury, 
,  unrighteousness  must  bring  the  destruction  which 
'.  the  prophet  foretells.     He  does  but  dimly  foreboda 
the  superior  power  of  Assyria."     To  which  Pusey 
justly  answers,  that  decay  does  not  involve  the 
transportation  of  a  people,  but  rather  the  contrary. 
A  mere  luxurious  people  rots  on  its  own  soil  and 
I  would  be  left  to  rot  there.     It  was  the  little  rem 
nant  of  energy  and  warlike  spirit  in  Israel  that 
I  brought  its  ruin  fi-om  man.     In  the  faults  referred 
!  to,  they  were  no  worse  than  their  neighbors,  nor 
so  bad ;  not  so  bad  as  the  Assyrians  themselves, 
j  except  that,  God  having  revealed  Himself  to  them, 
]  they  had  more  light.     God  has  annexed  no  such 
visible  laws  of  punishment  to  a  nation's  sins  that 
!  man  could  of  his  own  wisdom  or  observation  of 
I  God's  wa^'s  foresee  it.     They  through  whom  He 
willed  to  inflict  it  in  this  case,   and  whom  Amos 
pointed  out,   were  not  provoked  by  the  sins   I)e 
'  Wette   specifies.      There  was   no  connection   be- 
I  tween   Israel's  present  sins   and  Assyria's  future 
vengeance.     No  eastern  despot  cares  for  the   op- 
[  pressions  of  his  subjects  so  that  his  own  tribute  is 
I  collected.      As  far  too  as  we  know,  neither  As- 
I  Syria  nor  any  other  power  had  hitherto  punished 
rebellious   nations   by    transporting   them.     Only 
He  who  controls  the  rebellious  wills  of  men,  and 
through  their  self-will  works  out  his  own  all-wise 
will  and  man's  punishment,  could  know  the  futura 
of  Israel  and  Assyria,  and  how  through  the  prid 
of  Assyria,  He  would   bring  down  the  pride  O4 
Samaria.] 


Chapter  VI. 


4.   Woe  to  the  Secure  who  think  that  the  Day  of  the  Lord  is  far  oj^ 

1  Woe  to  the  secure  ^  in  Zion, 

And  to  the  careless  in  the  mountain  of  Samaria  1 
To  the  princes  of  the  first  of  nations, 
To  whom  the  house  of  Israel  comes  ! 

2  Pass  over  ^  to  Calneh  and  see, 

And  go  thence  to  Hamath  the  great, 

And  go  down  to  Gath  of  the  Philistines  ; 

Are  they  better  than  these  kingdoms, 

Or  is  their  territory  greater  than  your  territory  ? 

3  Ye  who  put  far  off  the  evil  day. 
And  bring  near  the  seat  of  violence ; 

4  "Who  lie  upon  beds  of  ivory 

And  stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches, 
Who  eat  lambs  out  of  the  flock, 
And  calves  from  the  fattening  stall : 

5  Who  trill '  to  the  sound  of  the  harp. 

Like  David,  they  invent  string  instruments,* 

6  Who  drink  wine  out  of  sacrificial  bowls,' 


40  AMOS. 

"  — ^ _ — . ^—^^^^ 

And  anoint  themselves  with  the  best  oils, 
And  do  not  grieve  for  the  hurt  of  Joseph. 

7  Therefore  now  shall  they  go  captive  at  the  head  of  the  captiyes. 
And  the  shout  ®  of  the  revellers  shall  depart. 

8  The  Lord  Jehovah  hath  sworn  by  himself, 
Saith  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts, 

I  abhor  the  pride  of  Jacob ' 

And  hate  his  palaces. 

And  will  give  up  the  city  and  the  fullness  thereof. 

9  And  if  ten  men  are  left  in  one  house  they  shall  die. 
IC  And  his  cousin  *  and  his  burier  shall  lift  him  up, 

To  carry  his  bones  out  of  the  house. 

And  shall  say  to  the  one  in  the  inmost  recess  of  the  house, 

"  Is  there  still  any  one  with  thee  ?  "  and  he  says,  "  Not  one," 

Then  shall  he  say,  "  Be  still. 

For  we  must  not  call  upon  Jehovah's  name." 

11  For  behold,  Jehovah  commands,  and  men  smite  the  great  house'  into  ralxu 
And  the  small  house  into  pieces. 

12  Do  horses  indeed  ruu  upon  the  rock,*" 
Or  do  men  plough  there  with  cattle, 
That  ye  have  turned  justice  into  poison. 

And  the  fruit  of  righteousness  into  wormwood  ? 

13  Ye  who  rejoice  in  a  thing  of  nought,*^ 

"Who  say,  "  With  our  own  strength  we  have  taken  to  us  horns.** 

14  For,  behold,  I  raise  up  over  you,  O  house  of  Israel, 
Saith  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  a  nation,^^ 

And  it  shall  oppress  you  from  the  entrance  Hamath  to  the  brook  of  the  desert 

TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

I  Ver  1.  —  0*^71^^  comes  from  the  intransitive  form,  and  is  equJTalent  here  to  ita  Tia«  in  Is  xzxU   9,  10,  U, 

Mount  of  Sam.  is  not  the  object  of  trust  (as  in  E.  V.)  but  the  place  where  the  careless  securitj  is  cherished,    "'ip?! 
k  Mosaic  word  (Num.  i.  17),  =  specified  by  name,  chosen,  distinguished. 

a  Ver.  2.  —  ^'nH^,  pass  over,  because  the  Euphrates  must  be  crossed  in  going  to  Oalneh. 

8  Ver.  5.  —  D'^t^'irrT,  ott.  Ary.  perhaps  =  T^D,  to  divide.  According  to  Furst  it  is  here  =  to  break  out,  especially 
In  song.  Keil  interprets  it  to  strew  around,  t.  «.,  words,  and  thinks  it  describes  the  singing  as  frivolous  nonsense.  Meier 
renders  it  "  to  jingle."  [Pusey  understands  it  as  meaning  "  a  hurried  flow  of  unmeaning  words  in  which  the  rhythm  is 
•Terything,  the  sense  nothing."     The  rendering  in  the  text,  trill,  is  from  Wordsworth.] 

i  Ver.  6.  — *T^tJ7  '^vD,  lit.,  instruments  of  music,  seems,  from  a  comparison  of  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  12  with  2  Chron. 
xziz.  26,  27,  and  1  Chron.  xxiii.  5,  to  denote  stringed  instruments.     [So  Keil  and  Pusey.]     ili?n,  to  invent,  devise. 

6  Ver.  6.  —  D"'p"nTtt,  tit.  sprinkling  vessels,  always  elsewhere  denotes  bowls  used  in  the  temple  service.  Ex.  xzzviii. 
9 ;  Num.  iv.  14 ;  2'chron.  iy.  8. 

6  Ver.  7.  —  nt'lQ  constr.  of  nT"172,  a  loud  cry,  here  of  joy.  D'^n^~ip  as  in  ver.  4,  the  stretched  out,  i.  e.,  at  a 
banquet  =  the  revellers.  Fiirst  assumes  a  second  root  of  the  same  radicals,  to* which  he  give"  the  meaning,  to  be  bad,  to 
stink,  and  metaph.,  to  be  corrupt,  and  renders  here,  the  degenerate.     [This  seems  quite  needless.] 

'  Ver.  8. —  I'l^'?,  the  pride  of  Jacob,  i.  «.,  everything  of  which  he  is  proud.  "l^^Dri  to  give  up,  i.  «.,  to  the 
soMmy.     "  The  city,"  means  Samaria,  and  "  its  fullness,"  whatever  it  contains. 

8  Ver.  10.  —  "ni^,  lit.,  uncle,  here  denotes  any  kinsman.     "iQ^DTp,  lit.,  his  burner.    As  the  Israelites  wer«  wont 

to  bury  and  not  burn  their  dead,  it  is  supposed  that  the  multitude  of  corpses  compelled  the  latter  course.     D'^ID^V, 
benes,  here  =  body,  as  Exod-  xiii.  19  ;  Josh.  xxiv.  32  ;  2  Kings  xiii.  21. 

9  Ver.  11.  —  n"^2Pf,  the  singular  is  used  indefinitely  =  every  house,  great  and  small.     Cf.  iii.  16. 

W  Ver.  12.  —  Meier  points  D"*'np32,  thus,  Q"^  *np22.  Does  man  plough  the  sea  with  oxeo  ?  [But  tliis  is  a 
Vere  coigecture]. 

II  Ver.  13.  —  "^!II^"|S7  A  not-thing,  somewhich  which  does  not  exist,  namely,  the  strength  mentioned  in  the  next 
slanse. 

[12  Ver.  14.  —  Few  instances  are  found  in  Hebrew  in  which  the  object  of  a  verb  is  so  fur  removed  from  it,  as  ^12    is 

from   CTtO.    Henderson.      nS'^Vri   is  the  well  known  Arabah,  the  deep  and  remarkable  depression,  now  callet' 
ttie  Ghor.  which  extends  from  "-he  lake  of  Geunesareth  to  the  Dead  Sea.] 


CHAPTER  VI. 


41 


KXEQETICAb  AND  CRITICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-6.  A  sharp  censure  of  the  thought- 
less revelry  of  the  heads  of  the  nation.  The  woe 
points  back  to  the  simihir  exclamation  in  eh.  v.  18. 
There  a  woe  was  pronounced  upon  those  who  mis- 
takenly desired  the  day  of  the  Lord,  as  if  it  would 
bring  to  them  prosperity.  Here  the  question  is  of 
the  confident  who  bestowed  no  thought  at  all 
upon  that  day.  Ver.  1,  in  Zion:  shows  that  the 
rebuke  includes  Judah  also,  although  the  subse- 
quent description  refers  especially  to  the  great  men 
"  in  the  hill  of  Samaria."  And  as  these  are  the 
distinguished  in  the  nation,  so  the  nation  itself  is 
called  the  first  or  most  exalted  of  all  nations,  nat- 
urally enough,  since  it  was  the  chosen,  peculiar 
people  of  God.  These  princes  are  further  de- 
scribed as  those  to  whom  the  house  of  Israel 
comes,  I.  e.,  for  counsel  and  direction.  Justly  re- 
marks Hengstenberg  (Auth.  Pent.,  i.  148),  that 
thus  "  the  chief  men  were  reminded  that  they  were 
the  successors  of  those  '  princes  of  the  tribes  '  who 
were  formerly  thought  worthy  to  be  joined  with 
Moses  and  Aaron  in  managing  the  atFairs  of  the 
chosen  people." 

Ver.  2.  How  high  they  stood,  is  now  shown  by 
the  fact  that  Israel,  at  whose  head  they  were 
placed,  was  not  inferior  in  prosperity  or  greatness 
to  the  mightiest  heathen  states.  [He  bids  them 
look  east,  north,  and  west,  and  survey  three  neigh- 
boring kingdoms.  Calneh  (Calno  in  Isaiah, 
Cj»lneh  in  Ezekiel),  was  built  by  Nimrod  in  the 
land  of  Shinar  (Gen.  x.  10)  but  is  not  mentioned 
again  in  Scripture  until  this  place.  Afterwards  it 
became  celebrated  under  the  name  of  Ctesiphon. 
Julian's  generals  held  it  impregnable,  being  built 
on  a  peninsula  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  the 
Tigris.  Hamath  the  great  was  thfe  capital  of  the 
Syrian  kingdom  of  that  name  on  the  Orontes. 
Gath  was  one  of  the  five  chief  cities  in  Phillstia, 
and  in  David's  time  the  capital  of  the  whole  coun- 
try.] Than  these  kingdoms,  namely,  Judah 
and  Israel.  Others  say  that  the  prophet  speaks  of 
destroyed  cities,  and  that  the  Israelites  are  re- 
minded of  their  fate  as  intimating  that  the  same 
was  in  store  for  themselves  (so  Luther).  This 
view  would  commend  itself  to  favor,  were  it  not 
opposed  to  the  fair  construction  of  the  words.  It 
might  be  allowed,  if  the  double  question,  are  they 
better,  etc.,  admitted  of  an  affirmative  answer, 
lamely,  yes  they  are  better.  But  this  plainly  can- 
lot  be.  Bauer  indeed  sees  this,  and  accordingly 
ixplains  thus  :  "  Observe  these  heathen  states. 
Their  lot  is  not  better,  their  power  not  greater 
'han  yours  ;  rather  they  have  fallen  while  you  by 
God's  grace  still  stand  ;  if  you  apostatize  from 
Jehovah,  the  same  fate  will  befall  you."  But 
how  could  any  one  speak  of  a  power  which  was 
jverthrown  as  "  not  greater  "  than  one  still  stand- 
'ng  ?  A  comparison  in  respect  to  greatness  can 
be  made  only  with  a  still  existing  power.  [Pusey 
idopts  Bauer's  view,  but  Wordsworth  and  Keil 
igree  with  Schmoller  in  making  the  verse  simply 
m  expansion  of  the  statement  in  ver.  1,  that  Israel 
s  first  of  the  nations,  unexcelled  by  any  of  their 
heathen  neitihbors.] 

Ver.  3  begins  the  further  explanation  of  the 
carckjs  security  charged  in  ver.  1.  Regarding  the 
evil  diy,  i.  e.,  day  of  judgment  as  far  off,  they 
cause  violence  to  erect  its  throne  nearer  and  nearer 
among  them.  [Pusey  follows  Jerome,  Grotius, 
Newcome,  and  others  in  referring  the  throne  of 
riolence  to  the  rule  of  Assyria,  which  the  people 


brought  nearer  to  them  while  they  were  thinking 
to  put  it  far  off.  But  the  former  reference  is  much 
more  natural.] 

Ver.  4.  To  oppression  they  added  luxurious 
sensuality  (cf.  ch.  ii.  8  ;  iii.  12). 

Ver.  5.  Like  David  they  employed  themselves 
in  inventing  musical  instruments,  but  with  a  very 
different  aim. 

Ver.  6.  They  used  the  best  oils,  at  a  time  when 
there  was  abundant  cause  for  mourning  in  the 
breach,  i.  e.,  the  overthrow  of  Joseph.  [The  cus- 
tom of  anointing  was  usually  suspended  in  tirae 
of  mourning,  2  Sam.  xiv.  2.  But  these  so  far 
from  grieving  employed  the  most  costly  unguents.] 

2.  Vers.  7-10.  These  verses  announce  the  pun- 
ishment. The  phrase  at  the  head  of  the  cap- 
tives, contains  a  bitter  irony.  The  princes  should 
maintain  their  preeminence  even  in  the  procession 
of  captives. 

Ver.  8.  [The  oath  here  is  like  that  in  ch.  iv.  2, 
except  that  it  is  by  himself  instead  of  by  his  holi- 
neas,  but  the  sense  is  the  same,  for  the  nephesh 
of  Jehovah,  i.  e.,  his  inmost  self  or  being,  is  his 
holiness.     Keil.] 

Vers.  9,  10.  Ten,  that  is,  many ;  but  even  of 
the  many  not  one  shall  escape.  This  is  made 
plainer  by  what  follows. 

Ver.  10.  When  on  the  death  of  the  ninth,  a  rela- 
tive comes  to  the  house  to  bury  the  dead,  he  wil. 
ask  the  last  one,  the  tenth,  who  has  retired  into  a 
remote  corner  to  save  his  life,  whether  there  is  any 
one  still  with  him,  i.  e.,  alive.  On  receiving  the 
reply,  None,  he  calls  out  to  him.  Silence!  (liter- 
ally '  St),  ('.  e.,  he  interrupts  him  quickly  lest  he 
may  utter  Jehovah's  name,  and  by  attracting  Jeho- 
vah's attention,  bring  down  a  judgment  upon  him- 
self The  words,  there  must  be  no  mention  of 
the  Lord's  name,  are  spoken,  not  by  Amos  but 
by  the  kinsman,  and  they  do  not  express  despair 
but  fear.  The  deaths  mentioned  occur  partly  by 
the  sword  and  partly  by  famine,  both  in  conse- 
quence of  the  conquest  and  overthrow  of  the  city. 

[Ver.  11.  The  For  assigns  the  reason  of  the 
fearful  destruction.  It  is  the  Lord's  command, 
and  his  arm  reaches  rich  and  poor  alike,  "  reguir. 
tarres  ac.  pauperum  tabernas."} 

3.  Vers.  12-14.  Upon  rocks  can  neither  horses 
run  nor  man  plough.  What  is  the  force  of  this 
comparison  ?  Either  the  attempt  to  do  one  or  the 
other  of  these  things  is  represented  as  something 
preposterous,  and  the  meaning  is.  Even  so  prepos- 
terous is  your  turning  justice  into  poison,  etc. ;  or 
it  is  represented  as  something  impossible,  and  the 
sense  is,  Is  then  the  impossible  possible,  that  you 
turn  justice,  etc.,  and  do  you  think  you  can  escape 
unpunished,  and  even  attain  prosperity  ?  That 
ye  turn,  etc.,  cf.  ch.  v.  7.  Fruit  of  righteous- 
ness is  said,  because  unrighteousness  is  compared 
with  a  bitter  fruit. 

Ver.  13.  With  our  strength,  taken,  as  if  the 
whole  originated  with  themselves.  Horns,  the 
usual  symbol  of  strength,  here  =  means  of  over- 
coming foes. 

Ver.'  14  contains  Jehovah's  answer  to  this  pre- 
sumption. You  are  rejoicing  in  a  thing  of  nought, 
for  I  will,  etc.  At  the  same  time  this  verse  re- 
sumes and  confirms  the  threat  in  ver.  1 1 ,  which 
begins  with  the  same  words,  "  For  behold !  "  A.. 
Syria  is  plainly  intended  by  a  people,  but  as  u 
was  still  in  the  distance,  Amos  nowhere  mentions 
it  by  name.  Perhaps,  too,  the  omission  was  de- 
signed, in  order  to  awaken  the  more  attention. 
The  entrance  of  Hamath,  was  the  standing 
term  for  the  northern  bou  dary  of  Israel,  Niun, 


i'A 


AMOS 


xxxiv.  8  ;  2  Kings  xiv.  25.  [For  its  exact  place, 
see  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  Amer.  cd.  p.  987]. 
The  brook  of  the  desert,  the  southern  bound- 
ary, is  the  present  Wady  el-Ahsi  which  separated 
Moab  from  Edom  at  the  lower  extremit-  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  [Israel's  strength  had  of  late  been  in- 
creasing steadily.  Jehoash  had  thrice  defeated  the 
Syrians  and  recovered  several  cities.  What  he  be- 
gan, Jeroboam  continued  during  a  reign  of  forty- 
one  years,  until  he  had  completely  restored  all  the 
ancient  boundaries  of  the  kingdom.  Amos  here 
declares  that  the  whole  region  of  their  triumphs 
should  be  one  scene  of  aflSiction  and  woe.  This 
was  fulfilled  after  some  forty-five  years  at  the  in- 
vasion of  Tiglath  Pileser.     Pusey.] 


DOCTRINAL  AND   MORAL. 

1.  "  Israel  the  first  among  the  nations."  Again 
and  again  is  the  lofty  position  of  Israel  empha- 
sized, ;'.  e.,  its  peculiar  enjoyment  of  the  divine 
favor,  which  was  shown  even  in  its  outward  rela- 
tions, its  power  and  influence  as  compared  with 
surrounding  nations.  In  these  respects  it  could 
measure  itself  with  any  of  them.  This  was  not 
the  highest  motive  of  action,  yet  it  should  have 
sufficed  to  confirm  them  in  fidelity  to  God.  For 
the  penalty  of  unfaithfulness  was  the  loss  of  their 
position  hitherto,  a  fall  below  other  nations  and  a 
shameful  end. 

2.  But  alas,  prosperity  only  led  to  self-will,  and 
rendered  them  arrogant  and  secure.  There  is  a 
striking  picture  in  vers.  4-6  of  an  insolent,  pre- 
sumptuous community  in  which  every  thought  of 
danger  is  drowned.  The  internal  evils  of  the  na- 
tional life  are  not  seen,  nor  is  it  observed  how  all 
tends  steadily  downward  to  destruction.  Alas, 
.he  higher  ranks  here  precede  with  their  example. 
Instead  of  becoming  pillars  of  the  state  by  their 
position  and  culture,  they  help  to  undermine  it. 
No  wonder  then  that  when  the  crash  comes,  they 
are  most  deeply  affected  and  meet  a  frightful  end. 

3.  The  judgment  which  the  prophet  everywhere 
speaks  of  is  conquest  and  overthrow  by  a  foreign 
enemy.  From  this  we  may  learn  the  right  con- 
ception of  war.  It  is  natural  to  consider  it  a 
heavy  calamity,  since  it  involves  the  loss  of  for- 
tune and  life  to  thousands,  and  sometimes  the 
downfall  of  entire  states.     But  while  it   if:   true 


comes  as  a  judgment  upon  a  people  ripe  for  such 
a  process,  and  therefore  no  defense  avails.  In 
other  cases  it  docs  avail,  and  a  deserved  punish 
ment  overtakes  the  foe  eager  for  conquest.  But 
even  then  the  war,  by  the  distress  it  causes  and  the 
sacrifices  it  requires,  proves  a  serious  time  of  sift- 
ing for  the  ^^ctor.  Hence  it  is  right  and  proper 
to  maintain  beforehand  an  earnest  conflict  against 
sin,  lest  such  a  heavy  scourge  is  ,var  should 
become  necessary  But  when  such  a  point  is 
reached,  it  'jecomes  Christians  not  to  utter  empty 
declamations  against  war  nor  womanish  com 
plaints  over  it,  but  humbly  to  bow  beneath  God'i 
hand  and  patiently  bear  their  sorrows,  so  that 
thus  may  spring  up  the  fruit  of  a  new  spirit  well 
pleasing  to  God.  For  even  the  destruction  of  a 
nation  is  so  far  stayed  that  at  least  "  a  remnant  "^ 
is  left  to  undertake  a  new  life.  And  the  mure  the 
kingdom  of  God  prevails  among  men  to  the  over- 
throw of  sin,  the  less  needful  will  be  the  frightful 
scourge  of  war ;  but  the  complete  reign  of  peace 
will  come  only  when  the  first  earth  and  the  first 
heavens  are  passed  away  and  all  things  become 
new.  The  horrors  of  war  may  and  should  aid  in 
keeping  alive  and  intense  our  longing  for  th»t 
blissful  period. 


HOMILETICAL   AND    PRACTICAL. 

Ver.  1.  Woe  to  the  secure.  Security  and  vain  con 
fidence,  the  common  faults  of  man  !  He  is  blind  to 
his  danger.  He  reels  around  the  abyss  without  per- 
ceiving it,  and  at  last  would  plunge  headlong,  were 
it  not  that  God  startles  him  with  judgments.  It  is 
this  that  renders  such  strokes  necessary.  They  are 
therefore  to  be  deemed  gracious  acts,  since  they  are 
intended  to  save  from  a  rotal  overthrow.  But  alas, 
how  many  refuse  to  heed  them  !  First  of  nations. 
What  an  honor !  But  so  much  the  worse  if  such 
a  divine  favor  is  not  properly  recognized,  so  much 
the  greater  the  responsibility  and  the  guilt.  "The 
author  applies  this  thought  directly  to  his  own  na- 
tion, in  view  of  God's  recent  dealings  with  the  Ger- 
man people.  But  surely  it  is  equally  applicable  to 
our  own  favored  land.  If  our  territorial  extent, 
our  material  development,  our  liberal  institutions, 
our  final  welding  together  in  the  furnace  of  the 
wav  for  the  Union,  have  made  us  first  of  nations, 
this  fact  should  not  generate  vain  confidence  and 


that  on  this  account  we  must   desire  its  general  I  j^  g^npj^  gej,s„.^jij^,l,m  rather  awaken  a  lively  grat- 


cessation,  yet  the  declamations  against  it  of  the  so 
called  friends  of  peace  are  vain,  proceeding,  if  not 
always  yet  generally,  from  a  mind  which  compre- 
hends little  or  nothing  of  the  divine  government 
of  the  world.  In  spite  of  all  these  well-meant  per- 
formances, war  neither  will  nor  can  cease  in  this 
world,  {.  e.,  so  long  as  sin  still  exists.  For  it  is 
necessary  as  a  means  of  inflicting  the  divine  chas- 
tisement upon  .sin.  Through  it  God  executes  the 
judgments  which,  being  required  by  his  righteous- 
ness, are  therefore  indispensable  and  irresistible,  — 
not  so  much  upon  individuals  as  upon  nations  and 
states  which  are  considered  as  collective  persons. 
Such  acts  are  either  processes  of  purification,  or 
when  the  measure  of  iniquity  is  full  and  the  time 
has  cojne,  works  of  destruction.  On  this  ground 
evea  a  war  which  subjectively  is  altogether  wrong, 
as  a  war  of  conquest,  may  still  be  objectively  jus- 
tified, in  so  far  as  it  is  a  means  of  executing  God's 
righteous  wrath  upon  a  people.  On  the  other 
hand  we  can  conceive  how  a  war  undertaken  only 
in  self-defense,  and  therefore  righteous  in  itself, 
may  yet  fail  of  the  issue  one   would  expect.     It 


itudo  and  a  generous  obedience  to  the  Ruler  of  na- 
tiims,  the  God  of  hosts.] 

\"er.  2.  Pass  over  to  Calneh,  etc.  A  comparison 
with  others  less  favored  than  ourselves  is  always 
wise  when  it  prompts  to  humility  and  thanktiil- 
ness.  "  Who  am  I,  0  Lord  God,  "and  what  is  my 
house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto  ?  "  Alas, 
often  all  the  thanks  God  receives  for  giving  us 
more  than  to  others,  is  that  we  forget  Him  the 
more. 

[Ver.  3.  Who  put  far  off  the  evil  day.  The 
thought  that  the  Lord  has  a  day  in  which  to  judge 
man,  frets  or  frightens  the  irreligious,  and  they  use 
different  ways  to  get  rid  of  it.  The  strong  harden 
themselves,  and  distort  or  disbelieve  the  truth. 
The  weak  and  voluptuous  shut  their  eyes  to  it,  like 
the  bird  in  the  fable,  as  if  what  they  dread  would 
cease  to  be,  because  they  cease  to  sec  it._  (Pnsev). 
Henderson  quotes  a  parallel  from  (^laudian,  lr\tv 
trop.,  ii.  ,50-54. 


"  Srd  qun-m  rrP'-\is  inixl  vitiif 
DespiritiiT,  sundentijue  '■reve 


\f  fut?irum 
fntctum. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


43 


Et  Tuit  in  vetitum  damni  secura  libido 

Dum  mora  suppliciilucro,  sttumqite  quod  instat, 

Oeditur." 

Ver.  5.  Who  trill  to  the  sound  of  the  harp.  An 
artificial  effeminate  music  which  relaxes  the  soul, 
frittering  the  melody  and  displacing  the  power  of 
divine  harmony  by  tricks  of  art,  is  meet  company 
for  giddy,  thoughtless,  heartless  versifying.  Do- 
based  music  is  a  mark  of  a  nation's  decay,  and 
promotes  it.  Like  David  they  invent,  etc.  The 
same  pains  which  David  employed  on  music  to  the 
honor  of  God,  they  employed  on  their  iigiit,  enei"- 
vating,  unmeaning  music,  and,  if  they  were  earnest 
enough,  justified  their  inventions  by  the  example 
of  David.  Much  as  people  have  justified  our  de- 
graded, sensualizing,  immodest  dancing  by  the  re- 
ligious dancing  of  Holy  Scripture.  (Pusey.)  See 
Bishop  Sanderson,  Lectures  on  Conscience,  iii.  §  13. 

Ver.  6.  Drink  wine  out  of  sacrificial  howls.  The 
first  princes  of  the  tribes  (Num.  vii.  13  ff.) 
showed  their  zeal  for  God  by  offering  massive  silver 
bowls  for  the  service  of  the  tabernacle;  the  like 
zeal  had  these  princes  for  their  own  god,  their  bel- 
ly, using  the  huge  sacred  vessels  for  their  corapo- 
lations.  Like  swine  in  the  trough,  they  immersed 
themselves  in  their  drink,  "  swimming  in  mutual 
swill."  i  (Ibid.)  Anoint  themselves,  etc.  In  this 
crisis,  when  the  divine  wrath  was  about  to  break 
out  upon  the  nation,  and  they  ought  to  have  been 
sitting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  they  were  curious 
to  procure  the  best  ointment  for  their  own  use. 
Roman  patricians,  in  Cicero's  days,  cared  only  for 
their  own  fish-ponds  that  their  tables  might  be  well 
supplied  with  mullets  and  other  fish,  while  their 
country  was  in  danger  of  being  overwhelmed  with 
a  flood;  they  "thought  only  of  the  cock-boat  of 
their  own  fortunes  when  the  vessel  of  the  state  was 
going  to  wreck."  ....  Here  is  another  prophetic 
warning  for  our  selfish  luxury.     (Wordsworth.) 

Grieve  not  for  the  hurt  of  Joseph.  Joseph,  the 
ancestor  of  Ephraim,  the  head  of  the  ten  tribes, 
was  afliicted  by  his  own  brethren,  who  saw  the 
aaiguish  of  his  soul  and  were  not  moved  by  his 
tears ;  and  when  they  had  sold  him  to  the  Ishmael- 
ites,  sat  down  in  heartless  indifference  "  to  eat 
bread"  (Gen.  xxxvii.  23).  So  their  descendants, 
the  Jews,  feasted  at  the  Passover  after  they  had 
killed  the  true  Joseph  (John  xviii.  28).  How  many 
dwell  in  ceiled  houses  and  sing  to  the  sound  of  the 
harp  and  feast  on  the  richest  dainties,  and  care 
nothing  for  the  sorrows  of  Christ  and  his  Church  ! 
(Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  7.  Go  at  the  head  of  the  captives.  Preem- 
neace  in  rank  or  wealth  is  often  followed  by  pre- 

1  Thomson,  Autumn. 


eminence  in  sorrow  and  shame.  As  the  Wisd.  of 
Sol.  says  (vi.  6):  "For  mercy  will  soon  pardon 
the  meekest,  but  mighty  men  shall  be  mightily  tor 
mented." 

Ver.  8.  The  Lord  hath  sworn,  etc.  Our  oaths 
mean,  "  As  God  is  true  and  avenges  untruth,  wha* 
I  say  is  true."  So  God  says,  "  As  I  am  God,  this 
is  true."  God  then  must  cease  to  be  God  if  He  die 
not  hate  oppression.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  9.    Ten  righteous  men  in   Sodom  would 
have  saved  that  city.     Here  ten  were  left  in  one 
1  lionse  :iftei-  the  siege  was  begun,  but  they  did  not 
turn  to  God  ;  and  therefore  all  were  taken  or  de- 
stroyed.    (Ibid.) 

Ver.  10.  We  mast  not  call  ttpon  Jehovah's  name. 
Things  have  come  to  a  fearful  pass  when  a  man 
trembles  at  God's  name  because  he  fears  and  must 
fear  his  wrath,  and  hence  instead  of  turning  to  Him 
would  rather  flee  away.  This  is  a  frightful  ex- 
hibition of  the  power  of  an  evil  conscience-  There 
must  be  a  broken  heart  before  a  man  can  turn  in 
prayer  for  forgiveness  to  the  God  whom  his  sins 
have  offended.  [He  who  has  obstinately  abused  the 
intellectual  powers  given  liira  by  God,  to  cavil  at 
God's  truth,  will  be  forsaken  by  Him  at  last,  and 
will  not  be  able  to  utter  his  name.  (Wordsworth.)] 

Ver.  11.  .Jehovah  commands,  and  men  smite,  etc. 
When  a  people  is  ripe  for  judgment,  a  human 
conqueror  acts  only  as  a  divine  instrument.  God's 
judgment  strikes  equally  the  high  and  the  low. 

[Vers.  12.  Do  horses  run  upon  rocks,  etc.  It  is 
more  easy  to  change  the  course  of  nature,  or  the 
use  of  things  of  nature,  than  the  course  of  God's 
providence  or  the  laws  of  his  just  retribution. 
They  had  changed  the  sweet  laws  of  justice  into 
the  gall  of  oppression,  and  the  healthful  fruit  of 
righteousness  into  the  life-destroying  poison  of  sin. 
Better  to  have  ploughed  the  rock  with  oxen  for 
food.  For  now  where  they  looked  for  prosperity, 
they  found  not  barrenness  but  death.  (Pusey.) 

Ver.  13.  Who  rejoice,  in,  etc.  How  striking,  to 
rejoice  in  a  non-thing  !  Yet  this  is  the  way  witli 
men.  How  much  of  that  in  which  they  trust  is  a 
mere  nonentity  !  It  seems  to  be  something,  and 
still  is  nothing.  With  our  own  strength,  etc.  Sucli 
is  the  language  of  arrogant  self-confidence.  But 
God  alone  is  strength,  and  only  through  Him  are 
we  strong. 

Ver.  14.  /  raise  up,  etc.  No  foe  could  ever  in- 
vade us,  if  the  Lord  did  not  raise  Him  up.  War, 
therefore,  is  not  an  accident,  but  a  providential 
dispensation.  [Pharaoh,  Hadad,  Rezon,  the  Chal 
dees,  are  all  expressly  said  to  have  been  raised  up 
Dy  the  Lord  (Ex  «.  16  ;  1  Kings  xi.  14,  23  Hab 
..  6).] 


44  AMOS. 


CHAPTERS   VII.-IX. 

in.    Threatening  Discourses  against  the  Kingdom  of  Israel  in  the  Shape  of  Visions. 

A  Promise  in  the  Conclusion. 

Chapter  VII. 

Thiee  Visions.  Two  of  National  Calamities  are  averted  at  the  Request  of  the  Prophet.  The  Third,  of  a 
Piumb-Line,  indicates  the  cei-tain  Downfall  of  the  Kingdom.  Attempt  of  the  Priest  Amaziah  to  baniih 
Amosfroin  Bethel:  thereupon  a  sharper  Threat,  especially  against  Amaziah. 

1  Thus  the  Lord  Jehovah  showed  me ; 
And  behold,  He  formed  locusts/ 

In  the  beginning  of  the  springing  up  of  the  second  crop ; 
And  lo,  it  was  a  second  crop  after  the  king's  mowing. 

2  And  when  they  had  finished  eating  the  plants  ^  of  the  land. 
Then  I  said,  O  Lord  Jehovah,  forgive,  I  pray. 

How  can  Jacob  stand, 
For  it  is  small. 

3  Jehovah  repented  of  this;' 

It  shall  not  take  place,  saith  Jehovah. 

4  Thus  the  Lord  Jehovah  showed  me, 

And  behold,  the  Lord  Jehovah  called  to  punish  with  fire, 
And  it  devoured  the  great  flood,  * 
And  devoured  the  inheritance. 

5  Then  said  I,  O  Lord  Jehovah,  leave  off,  I  pray. 
How  can  Jacob  stand, 

For  it  is  small. 

6  Jehovah  repented  of  this  ; 

This  also  shall  not  take  place,  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah. 

7  Thus  he  showed  me, 

And  behold,  the  Lord  stood  upon  a  wall  made  with  a  plumb-line  • 
And  a  plumb-line  was  in  his  hand. 

8  And  Jehovah  said  to  me. 
What  seest  thou,  Amos  ? 
And  I  said,  a  plumb-line. 

And  the  Lord  said.  Behold,  I  put  a  plumb-line  in  the  midst  of  my  people,  Israel ; 
I  will  pass  by  him  no  more. 

9  And  the  high  places  of  Isaac  ®  sliall  be  laid  waste. 
And  the  sanctuaries  of  Israel  shall  be  desolated. 

And  I  will  arise  against  the  house  of  Jeroboam  with  the  sword. 

10  And  Amaziah,  the  priest  of  Bethel,  sent  to  Jeroboam  the  king  of  Israel,  saying, 
Amos  has  conspired  ''  against  thee  in  the  midst  of  the  house  of  Israel ;  the  land  is 

1 1  not  able  to  bear  all  his  words.     For  thus  has  Amos  said, 

"  By  the  sword  shall  Jeroboam  die 
Aid  Israel  shall  go  into  exile  out  of  his  land." 

12  And  Amaziah  said  to  Amos,  "  Seer,  go,  flee  into  the  land  of  Judah ;  and  there  eat 

13  thy  bread  and  there  mayest  thou  prophesy.     But  in  Bethel  thou  shalt  no  longer 

14  prophesy,  for  it  is  the  king's  sanctuary  ^  and  a  seat  of  the  kingdom."  And  Ajnoa 
answered  and  said  to  Amaziah,  "  I  am  no  prophet,  nor  am  I  a  prophet's  son,  but 

15  1  am  a  herdsman  and  a  gatherer  of  sycamores.^  And  Jehovah  took  me  from  fol 
lowing  the  flock ;  and  Jehovah  said  to  me.  Go,  prophesy  to  my  people,  Israel." 

1 6  And  now  hear  the  word  of  Jehovah, 
Thou  sayost.  Prophesy  not  against  Israel, 
And  drop^"  nothing  against  the  house  of  Isaac. 


CHAPTER    Vn. 


45 


17  Therefore  thus  saith  Jehovah, 

Thy  wife  shall  be  dishonored  in  the  city, 

And  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  shall  fall  by  the  sword  ; 

And  thy  land  shall  be  divided  by  line, 

And  thou  shalt  die  in  an  unclean  land, 

And  Israel  shall  go  into  exile  out  of  his  lan<1. 

TEXTUAL  AND  GRAMMATICAL. 
1  Ver.  1.  —  rt3  points  to  what  follows,     "^^i"'  lias  Jehovah  for  its  subject  [omitted  because  PirT*   '*3'7S  imiii* 

liately  preceded  it.  JehoTah,  as  usual,  takes  the  poiutiug  of  C^rivW  when  "'iTS  precedes  it.  ''^b  not  a  plond 
but  a  singular  used  collectively,  is  usuaUy  rendered  lucusls,  but  its  precise  origin  is  still  in  dispute.] 

1  Ver.  2.  —  ^ffi'^,  not  grass,  as  in  the  A.  V.,  but  all  vegetable  growth.  '^12,  literally,  "  as  who  "  =  qualis,  i.  e.,  how ! 
SJlp"^,  stand,  I.  «., endure.    [So  Keil  and  Fiirst.] 

8  Ver.  3.  —  nST"^^  :^  that  which  was  threatened  in  the  vision.   ^ZOp,   small  =  weak. 

4  Ver.  4 —  rT2~l  Qin^,  elsewhere  the  ocean,  e.  g..  Gen.  vii.  11 ;  Is.  li.  10.  In  Gen.  i.  2,  it  denote*  the  immeasur- 
ftble  deep  at  the  beginning  of  the  creation.      P  'i^i^,  not  "  a  part,''  but  tke  portion  or  inheritance. 

6  Ver.  7.  —  T[!]S,  plumb-line.  TJSS  HDiH  ^a  perpendicular  wall.  [Fiirst  follows  the  LXX.,  Sym.,  and  Syr.  in 
making  TJ-S,  i^apias,  a  pointed  hook  for  destroying,  and  the  wall,  a  pointed  wall,  i.  «.,  risiug  up  as  a  pinnacle.] 

eVer.  a. —  niw3,  heights  used  for  idolatrous  altars  and  shrines,  pnil,''''  for  pH^'^,  so  also  in  ver.  16.  Jer. 
zxxiii.  26  ;  Ps.  cv.  9  =  Israel. 

7  Ver.  10.  —  "12-"'P,  to  iorm  a  conspiracy 

-  't' 

8  Ver.  13.  —  ttnpO,  sanctuary. 

9  Ver.  14.  — D^b.  Perhaps  from  a  root  meaning  to  nip  or  scratch  (LXX.,  Kvi^ta),  because  it  was  cpmmon  so  to  treat 
the  mu''berry  or  sycamore  fruit  to  make  it  ripen  the  sooner  [or  a  deuom.  from  the  Arabic  name  for  the  mulberry  lig. 
(K^);  buj':  Fiirst  says  that  in  that  case  C^J^pII?  would  not  be  added  to  itj.  The  meaning  is,  one  that  gathers  figs  aul 
liTes  upon  them. 

10  Ver.  16.  —  "H^  ~  H,  to  drop,  is  used  in  the  sense  of  prophesying,  :ilso  in  Micah  ii.  6, 11,  and  Ezek.  xxi.  2,  7.  The  usag« 
•  borrowed  from  Deut.  xxxii.  2.     "  My  teaching  shall  drop  as  the  rain." 


EXEGETICAL  AND  CRITICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-6.  The  two  first  visions.  The  judg- 
ments they  reprt'ient  are  at  the  prayer  of  the 
prophet  averted. 

(a.)  Vers.  1-3.  First  Vision.  The  locusts.  Thus 
the  Lord  Jehovah  showed  me.  "  Showed  me  " 
is  used  also  in  the  following  visions.  These  are 
thiis  defined  to  be  "  visions,"  inward  intuitions, 
rather  than  mere  poetical  fictions.  But  the  ques- 
tion arises  and  must  be  answered,  What  did  the 
prophet  see  in  the  first  two  visions'?  Certainly 
threatening  judgments.  But  did  he  see  the  judg- 
ments themselves,  or  were  the  transactions  only  a 
figurative  representation  ?  Did  they  point  symbol- 
ically to  the  future  chastisements  1  The  latter  is 
certainly  the  natural  view  of  the  third  vision,  and 
also  of  the  fourth  (chap.  viii.).  The  plumb-line  and 
the  basket  of  fruit  are  mere  symbols  which  are  sub- 
sequently explained.  In  the  fifth  vision,  also,  a  sym- 
bolical representation  is  made,  although  the  form 
there  is  somewhat  different  from  that  of  the  third 
and  the  fourth.  But  it  remains  to  determine  how 
we  are  to  regard  the  first  two.  For  the  prophet 
jees  here  a  desolation  produced  by  locusts  and  by 
fire.  Are  then  these  the  actual  judgments  which 
threaten  'he  people,  or  have  they  only  a  symbolical 
significance'?  I  think  we  must  decide  for  the  for- 
mer view.  In  their  external  form,  these  two  differ 
great'y  from  the  two  following.  In  the  latter,  the 
prophet  sees  only  an  object,  but  what  is  to  be  done 
ritb  it  or  what  stroke  it  represents,  has  to  be  stated 


in  words;  but  in  the  former  he  sees  a  judgment 
fully  accomplished ;  why  then  should  one  look  for 
anything  farther '?  In  that  view,  too,  the  analogy 
between  the  contents  of  these  two  visions  and  what 
we  read  in  Joel  is  not  to  be  mistaken.  There  also 
there  is  a  plague  of  locusts,  and  then  "  fire  "  (chap. 
i.  19)  ;  the  drought,  also,  is  there  described  in  words 
transcending  actual  experience,  so  that  we  must 
regard  it  as  a  poetical  representation.  Yet  what 
is  there  treated  of  is  what  has  actually  happened, 
while  here  is  something  which  is  threatened,  so 
that  it  need  not  offend  if  here  the  colors  are  higher, 
and  we  read  of  even  an  ocean  dried  up  by  the  heat 
(ver.  4).  If  now  in  Joel  locusts  and  fire  are  found 
in  close  connection,  why  not  here  also  '?  What, 
too,  should  the  locusts  and  the  fire  "  signify  1 "  It 
must  be  destruction  by  the  foe  ;  and  yet  of  this  it 
is  here  said  that  at  the  request  of  the  prophet  it 
shall  not  take  place,  while  in  the  third  vision  it  is 
said  that  it  shall.  The  first  two  visions  then  must 
have  a  different  object  from  the  third.  If  the  mean- 
ing is  that  the  threatened  infliction  is  twice  re- 
voked, then  it  is  strange  that  the  same  judgment  is 
presented  in  two  different  images.  Keil  therefore 
assigns  a  difitireiit  meaning  to  each  image,  regards 
the  first  two  visions  as  the  more  general  and  severe, 
and  gives  to  them  —  althongh  not  very  clearly  — • 
a  scojje  comprelieiiding  .ill  the  past  and  all  the  fti- 
ture.  They  indicate  an  entire  destruction  except  a 
remnant  spared  at  the  prophet's  request,  and  tlie 
second  vision  points  also  to  a  judgment  that  falls 
upon  the  heathen  world  (  =  Q'inn).  The  rcmoxal 
of  the  two  at  Amos's  request  teaches  that    hesa 


46 


AMOS. 


judgments  are  not  intended  to  effect  the  annihila- 
tion of  the  people  of  God  but  their  purification, 
und  the  rooting  out  of  sinners  from  them ;  and 
that  in  consequence  of  God's  sparing  grace,  a  lioly 
remnant  will  be  left.  Both  the  following  visions 
refer  to  the  judgment  which  awaits  the  kingdom  of 
the  ten  tribes  in  the  immediate  future. 

How  gratuitous  is  all  this !  Nothing  of  it  is 
found  in  the  visions  themselves.  What  the  prophet 
Baw  in  the  second  vision  is  certainly  not  to  occur ; 
therefore  the  judgment  upon  the  heathen,  if  it  is 
contained  there,  is  not  to  occur.  Of  a  remnant 
remaining  over,  not  a  word  is  said.  Therefore  the 
first  vision  cannot  be  understood  differently  (see 
below).  In  place  of  assuming  an  anticlimax,  we 
must  rather,  since  the  discourse  has  various  stages, 
determine  the  contrary.  But  this  does  not  suit  the 
symbolical  view  of  the  first  two  visions,  for,  taken 
figuratively,  they  would  by  no  means  indicate  a 
lighter  judgment  than  the  third,  but  rather  a  com- 
plete devastation  of  the  land.  A  climax  is  obtained 
only  by  a  literal  interpretation,  according  to  which 
there  is  first  a  national  calamity,  and  then  a  blow 
which  overturns  the  state  as  such.  The  sense  of 
the  whole  is  that  God  will  have  patience  for  a  time, 
and  spare  the  land  the  plagues  which  it  deserves. 
But  if  there  be  no  change,  and  the  goodness  of  God 
does  not  lead  to  repentance,  forbearance  will  cease 
and  the  downfall  come.  The  view  that  the  two 
first  visions  refer  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah  which 
finds  forgiveness,  and  only  the  third  relates  to  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  which  is  not  forgiven,  has  much 
apparently  in  its  favor,  e.  g.,  the  appeal  to  the 
smallness  of  Jacob.  Still  it  is  to  be  rejected.  Ju- 
dah is  not  in  question  here  at  all.  The  entire 
chapter  treats  of  the  kingdom  in  the  midst  of  which 
the  prophet  is.  Were  Judah  meant,  it  would  be 
plainly  stated.  Manifestly,  the  three  visions  form 
one  series,  so  that  it  is  unnatui-al  to  suppose  that 
the  two  former  relate  to  Judah,  and  that  the  third 
refers  to  something  altogether  different.  The  ap- 
peal to  the  smallness  of  Jacob  admits  also  of  being 
fiiirly  applied  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  In  the 
tonduct  of  that  kingdom  the  prophet  finds  no 
ground  for  forbearance ;  on  the  contrary,  so  far  as 
this  is  concerned,  the  plagues  must  come.  There 
remains,  then,  nothing  but  an  appeal  to  the  divine 
mercy  and  compassion  on  the  ground  of  the  small- 
ness of  Israel.  Upon  this  motive  alone  can  the 
prophet  base  his  prayer,  since  no  claim  of  merit  is 
possible.  Israel  is  small,  is  weak,  in  comparison 
with  the  strong  hand  of  Jehovah  ;  as  if  he  would 
bay.  What  would  then  become  of  him  ?  Neces- 
sarily, he  must  be  annihilated. 

We  return  to  vcr.  1.  That  He,  i.  e.,  Jehovah, 
formed  locusts,  shows  clearly  that  the  infliction 
is  due  to  Jehovah,  without  whose  will  they  would 
not  come,  nay,  would  not  exist  at  all.  At  the  same 
time  the  prophet  sees  the  plague  in  its  very  begin- 
ning. But  this  image  of  the  locusts  occurs  at  a 
period  which  is  defined  in  two  ways  :  first,  as  that 
in  which  the  second  cropsjjrings  up,  and  then,  this 
second  crop  is  that  which  follows  the  king's  mow- 
ings. The  meaning  is,  that  the  period  is  a  very 
unfavorable  one,  first,  because  then  the  only  fur- 
ther product  of  the  year  would  be  destroyed,  and 
in  the  next  place,  because  the  early  crop  having 
already  been  mown  by  the  king,  the  people  were 
restri'  led  to  the  second,  and  this  was  now  threat- 
ened with  destruction.  Since  nothing  is  now  known 
of  ■my  right  of  the  king  to  the  early  crop,  Keil,  in 
accordance  with  his  figurative  conce))tion  of  the 
vision  in  general,  maintains  that  the  king  is  Jeho- 
rah.  ai'<^   the  mowing  denotes  the  judgments  He 


has  already  decreed  upon  Israel.  But  this  is  plainlj 
an  inconsistent  mingling  of  the  sign  with  the  thing 
signified.  Even  if  we  adopt  the  symbolical  inter- 
pretation, still  the  feature  mentioned  in  the  sup- 
posed comparison,  ;'.  e.,  in  the  process  taken  froii 
actual  life,  must  have  a  definite  meaning.  For  ont 
cannot,  on  account  of  the  signijication  of  a  com 
parison,  attribute  to  it  features  which  in  them- 
selves are  foreign  to  it.  Therefore  we  must  as- 
sume a  mowing  of  the  early  crop  by  the  king 
whether  only  as  a  fact  in  the  present  case,  or  as  a 
custom,  even  if  we  know  nothing  from  other 
sources  of  any  such  right. 

Ver.  2.  Plants  of  the  land.  Keil  says  that 
this  does  not  mean  the  second  crop  just  mentioned, 
but  vegetable  growth  suited  for  the  food  of  men. 
When  this  was  devoured,  the  second  crop  of  grass 
began  to  grow.  But  if  the  second  crop  itself  had 
been  devoured,  the  intercession  of  the  prophet 
would  have  come  too  late.  This  is  incorrect.  The 
prophet  sees  a  complete  destruction  of  what  had 
sprung  up,  and  just  because  this  image  with  its 
consequent  misery  stands  before  his  eyes,  he  prays 
for  the  entire  removal  of  it.  "  The  plants  of  the 
earth,'  therefore  mean,  certainly  not  the  second 
crop  in  particular,  but  all  vegetable  growth  in  gen- 
eral ;  yet  in  any  event  the  grass  is  included.  Nor 
can  it  be  inferred  from  the  conclusion  of  ver.  1 
that  this  second  crop  was  conceived  of  as  not  yet 
grown.  Rather  on  the  contrary  it  was  when  the 
locusts  were  formed ;  still  we  cannot  assume  that 
they  at  first  spared  it  and  attacked  only  the  plants. 

(b.)  Vers.  4-6.  Second  Vision.  Devouring  fire 
=  Drought.  Ver.  4.  "  He  called  to  contend  with 
fire  "  =  he  called  the  fire  in  order  to  punish  with 
it.  The  flood,  etc.  =  even  the  deepest  waters 
should  be  dried  up  by  the  "  fire." 

Ver.  6.  This  also,  t.  e.,  as  well  as  the  threat- 
ening contained  in  the  first  vision. 

2.  Vers.  7-9.  The  Third  Vision,  the  plumb-line. 
The  downfall  of  Israel  is  announced.  The  vision 
is  introduced  just  like  the  two  preceding,  but  un- 
expectedly has  a  different  result.  Even  the  sym- 
bol used  —  plumb-line  —  indicates  this.  But  Jeho- 
vah Himself  gives  the  explanation  to  the  prophet, 
and  shows  that  the  reference  is  to  a  hostile  inva- 
sion which  shall  certainly  fall  upon  the  kingdom 
as  a  judgment.  This  is  the  more  terrible,  because 
in  such  vivid  contrast  with  the  foregoing. 

Ver.  7.  The  wall  may  be  considered  an  image 
of  Israel,  which  resembled  such  a  solid,  well-con- 
structed wall,  built,  as  it  wei-e,  by  Jehovah  with  a 
plumb-line.  And  now  Jehovala  comes  again  with 
a  plumb-line,  not  however  to  build  up  but  to  tear 
down.  As  carefully  and  thoroughly  as  the  wall 
had  been  erected,  even  so  carefully  should  it  be  de- 
stroyed. In  the  midst  is  emphatic.  The  Lord's 
judgment  strikes  not  an  outwork,  but  the  very 
centre.  Like  the  plumb-line  it  turns  neither  to 
the  right  nor  to  the  left,  nor  varies  at  all  from  its 
aim.  No  longer  will  Jehovah  pass  by  =  spare. 
This  naturally  refers  to  the  previous  threats  which 
had  been  withdrawn. 

Ver.  9.  Specifics  the  "  middle  "  which  is  to  be 
struck  by  the  judgment,  namely,  the  idolatrous 
sanctuaries  of  the  people,  and  the  king's  house,  t. 
e.,  the  monarchy,  for  in  truth  with  the  fiiU  of  this 
house,  "  the  power  of  kingdom  would  be  broken." 
(Keil.) 

3.  Vers.  10-17.  Opposition  to  the  prophe  at 
Bethel  on  account  of  his  predictions.  New  prcph- 
ecies  of  wrath.  Priest  of  Bethel  is  plainly  ths 
high  priest  in  the  sanctuary  of  the  golden  calf  a 
Bethel.     In  the  midst  of  the   house  of  Israe« 


CHAPTER   VII. 


47 


«=  in  the  religious  centre  of  the  kingdom,  at  Bethel. 
For  it  was  from  Bethel  (ver.  13)  that  he  was  or- 
dered away. 

Ver.  11.  By  the  sword  shall  Jeroboam  die, 
cf  ver.  9 ;  here  the  head  of  the  house  is  named, 
but  this  was  naturally  included  in  the  house  itself. 
But  the  threat  in  the  present  form  sounds  more 
severely,  and  hence  not  witliout  design  is  it  thus 
recited  in  the  accusation. 

Ver.  12  Amaziali  informs  the  king  concerning 
the  prophet,  not  so  much  in  order  to  procure  his 
punishment,  as  to  justify  the  banishment  which  he 
proposed.  But  he  represents  it  to  the  prophet  in 
such  a  way  as  to  effect  a  courteous  removal.  Hence 
the  command  comes  in  the  form  of  good  advice,  — 
Flee,  eat  bread,  etc.  =  there  you  may  earn  your 
bread  by  your  prophecies.  He  considers  proph- 
esying a  calling  which  Amos  pursued  for  a  living 
—  a  view  against  which  the  prophet  guards  (ver. 
14)  in  his  answer.  For  a  king's  sanctuary  = 
founded  by  the  king,  clothed  with  regal  authority. 
A  house  =  seat  of  the  kingdom  =  a  royal  capi- 
tal. Therefore  nothing  should  be  said  against  the 
king  !  Unconscious,  bitter  satire  on  "  the  sanctu- 
ary," where  all  was  decided  by  respect  for  the 
king,  not  for  truth,  nor  for  God's  command. 

Ver.  14.  No  prophet,  i.  e.,  by  profession. 
Prophet's  son,  i.  e.,  scholar,  have  never  been 
trained  in  the  prophetic  schools  —  gatherer  of 
sycamores  refers  to  the  direction  in  ver.  12.  There 
eat  thy  bread.  Amos  says  that  he  need  not  go 
anywhere  for  tiie  sake  of  bread,  nor  did  he  come 
to  Bethel  or  Israel  for  a  better  support.  As  a 
herdsman  lie  Jiad  been  accustomed  to  be  content 
with  little ;  that  was  enough  for  him  and  he 
nought  no  more.  And  at  any  moment  he  could 
return  to  that  occupation.  If  he  were  now  proph- 
esying in  Israel  and  acting  independently,  he  did 
this  not  out  of  selfish  aims,  but  according  to  ver. 
15,  only  because  he  must,  in  obedience  to  a  divine 
command.  Whoever  therefore  would  hinder  this, 
sets  himself  against  Jehovah.  Therefore  Amos 
aanounces  to  Amaziah  the  punishment  he  is  to 
snffer  when  the  judgment  comes  upon  Israel. 

Ver.  16.  In  return  for  his  endeavor  to  stop  the 
mouth  of  Jehovah's  prophet,  he  must  bear  the  an- 
nouncement of  his  own  doom. 

Ver.  17.  Wife  become  an  harlot,  to  be  dishon- 
ored at  the  storming  of  the  city.  Thy  land  = 
landed  possession,  unclean  land  =  among  the 
heathen.  This  presupposes  his  exile,  and  with 
that  the  exile  of  the  whole  people-  The  latter  is 
expressly  threatened  in  the  conclusion  ;  and  thus 
is  confirmed  what  Amaziah  had  charged  before  the 
king  (ver.  11),  although  that  threat  was  not  ut- 
tered by  Amos  in  ver.  9. 


DOCTRINAL  AND  MORAL. 

1.  Divine  judgments  are  announced  by  the 
prophets  with  so  much  boldness  that  men  might 
easily  attribute  to  them  a  lack  of  tenderness  as  if 
they  had  no  regard  to  the  sadness  and  misery  cer- 
tain to  follow  from  what  they  announce.  But 
how  wrong  this  would  be  !  They  do  feel  and  that 
very  deeply.  They  seek  by  the  announcement  to 
prevail  on  men  to  repent  while  there  is  yet  time, 
and  thus  forestall  the  impending  judgments.  Cer- 
tainly, as  they  have  intense  moral  convictions  and 
firmly  believe  in  the  truth  of  a  moral  government 
of  the  world,  they  distinguish  between  a  people 
-ipe  of  judgment  and  one  that  is  not.  In  the  lat- 
ter case   ibey  intercede  with  God  for  the  people. 


I  So  pressed  are  they  with  love  and  desire  to  see  tbt 
nation  delivered  or  spared,  that,  although  thsy 
best  know  the  holy  earnestness  of  God  as  judge, 
they  go  to  meet  Him  and  wrestle  for  forgiveness. 
Thus  the  reproach  of  a  want  of  compassion  faiia 
to  lie  in  the  least  upon  them,  but  rather  passeB 
over  to  God,  the  Holy.     But  — 

2.  Even  He  is  not  truly  liable  to  it.  "  It  shall 
not  be !  "  therein  his  mercy  set  itself  against  his 
justice  and  overcomes  it.  Thus  is  it  jiroved  the 
mightier.  "  The  Lord  repented  " —  not  surely  as 
if  He  would  confess  the  unrighteousness  of'  his 
threatening,  but  merely  to  express  the  frank,  posi- 
tive withdrawal  of  the  threat.  What  was  threat- 
ened was  deserved,  but  still  the  punisiiraent  as 
destructive  has  not  yet  become  a  necessity.  God 
can  still  spare.  If  the  stroke  did  fall,  there  would 
be  no  unriiihteousness  in  God,  and  also  just  as  lit- 
tle, if  it  did  not.  How  the  case  stands  only  He 
who  is  the  searcher  of  hearts  and  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  can  certainly  know.  But  men  may  and 
should  presume  that  forbearance  is  possible,  and 
therefore  should  intercede.  Even  this  has  its  lim- 
its, and  cannot  be  a  duty  under  all  circumstances, 
otherwise  the  conviction  of  a  moral  government 
of  the  world  would  grow  weak.  It  is  therefore  by 
no  means  of  course  a  mark  of  a  godly  mind,  but 
it  is  to  be  highly  esteemed  when  in  men  like  the 
prophets  who  consider  God's  punitive  righteous- 
ness a  holy  truth,  it  manifests  itself  as  an  expres- 
sion of  love  for  their  fellow-men  ;  and  then,  too,  it 
is  efhcacious.  That  it  has  efticacy  indicates  its 
high  importance.  It  affects  the  action  even  of 
God  Himself,  and  thus  conditions  the  destiny  of 
men,  toward  whom  He  would  have  acted  other- 
wise without  these  intercessions  than  He  actually 
has  done  for  the  sake  of  them.  This  to  be  sure  is 
a  position  which  only  a  theism  having  full  faith  in 
a  personal  God  can  allow.  But  such  a  faith  in- 
volves just  this,  as  appears  by  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
which,  standing  on  the  ground  of  an  actual 
theism,  know  nothing  else  than  that  intercession 
has  such  an  efficacy,  and  everywhere  speak  of  it 
as  a  matter  that  is  self  evident.  It  is  therefore 
clearly  impossible  to  accept  the  Biblical  theism, 
and  at  the  same  time  deny  the  power  of  prayer. 
The  question  is  then  whether  we  will  admit  the 
latter,  or  deny  theism,  and  with  it  religion  in  gen- 
eral which  necessarily  presupposes  it.  If  any  will 
not  accept  the  latter  alternative,  then  they  must  de- 
mand of  science  that,  instead  of  affirming  a  con- 
ception of  God  drawn  from  the  assumed  impossi- 
bility of  a  theism  which  maintains  a  real  efficiency 
of  prayer  with  God,  it  should  either  correct  its  idea 
of  God,  or,  if  this  be  not  allowed,  should  admit 
its  inability  to  come  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion, 
and  thus  exercise  a  modesty,  which  so  far  from 
being  degrading,  would  be  honorable. 

3.  Impending  judgments  are  here  set  forth  by 
the  prophet  in  visions ;  partly  such  as  in  them 
selves  disclose  the  judgment  God  is  about  to  exe 
cute ;  partly  such  as  contain  a  symbolical  action 
which  afterwards  is  distinctly  explained  by  God. 
The  appearance  of  visions  here  is  something  new. 
But  it  must  be  admitted  that  prophetic  speech  and 
vision  stand  nearer  together  than  would  appear  at 
first  blush.  Even  in  the  prophetic  word  there  lies 
in  a  sense  what  is  substantially  a  vision,  since  the 
prophet  at  first  "  sees  "  what  He  is  to  announce  ; 
for  which  reason  the  prophet  is  called  a  "seer" 
(even  in  our  chap.  v.  12),  and  the  prophetic  speech 
"  a  vision,"  2  bam.  vii.  17  ;  Is.  xxii.  5  ;  i.  1,  and 
the  word  "  to  see  "  is  used  simply  of  prophecies  or 
prophetic  utterances.     If  therefore  Amos  in  chaps 


48 


AMOS. 


i.-vi.  announces  punishment  in  the  most  various 
forms,  fire,  plunder,  desolation,  killing,  we  must 
believe  that  through  the  divine  efficiency  such  im- 
ages presented  themselves  to  his  inner  intuitions 
as  incited  him  to  the  warnings  and  exhortations 
which  he  uttered  through  the  power  inwrought  in 
him  by  the  same  Spirit.  The  two  first  visions 
afford  us  a  glance  into  these  inner  processes.  But 
no  details  of  the  judgment  follow,  because  the 
threatened  evil  is  averted  by  prayer.  On  the  other 
hand,  we  must  not  obliterate  the  distinction  be- 
tween prophetic  speech  and  vision.  From  the  in- 
ward contemplation  in  which  God  revealed  his 
will  to  the  prophet,  it  was  quite  a  step  to  the  lit- 
eral vision.  In  the  latter  there  was  a  complete 
crystallization  of  the  perception,  which  was  not  a 
necessity  in  every  case,  for  even  without  it,  the  per- 
ception could  find  expression  in  prophetic  words. 
Especially  does  the  pure  symbolical  vision  distin- 
guish itself  from  the  seeing  which  lies  at  the  basis 
of  all  prophecy,  and  therefore  from  prophetic 
speech  as  such.  Here  at  once  the  image  as  such  is 
the  principal  thing.  There  is  urgent  need,  how- 
ever, of  explanatory  speech,  so  that  here  again, 
only  from  the  other  side,  we  encounter  the  mutual 
dependence  of  word  and  vision.  But  the  vision  is 
at  first  its  own  end,  and  because  it  does  not  speak 
for  itself  but  needs  explanation,  it  is  here  a  vision 
in  the  literal  sense.  Whether  we  are  to  suppose 
that  in  such  a  case  the  prophet  is  always  in  an 
ecstatic  state,  we  do  not  inquire.  For  the  most 
part  he  is,  in  the  case  of  a  pure  symbolic  vision. 
Since  in  vision,  the  divine  revelation  becomes  pe- 
culiarly precious  to  the  pi'ophet  and  makes  a 
deeper  impression  than  bare  speech,  the  end  it 
seeks  is  apparent.  This  aim  is  first  upon  the 
prophet  who  sees  the  vision.  It  renders  the  truth 
which  is  disclosed  to  him  and  which  he  is  to  an- 
nounce, more  vivid  and  impressive,  so  that  he  can- 
not do  otherwise  than  set  it  forth  just  as  he  has 
not  heard  but  seen  it,  whether  actually  or  in  the 
shape  of  a  symbol.  But  the  plastic  form  of  the 
vision  aimed  also,  and  ultimately  in  a  still  greater 
degree,  at  impressing  the  hearer.  When  the 
prophet  sets  forth  a  literal  vision,  that  is,  what  he 
has  seen,  the  judgment  he  announces  takes  a  con- 
crete, tangible  form  which  gives  emphasis  to  the 
utterance,  and  thus  dispels  doubt  and  wins  atten- 
tion. The  discourse  seizes  one  more  firmly  when 
it  is  united  with  an  image,  even  though  it  be  sym- 
bolical ;  and  in  a  certain  sense  this  latter  kind  of 
image  is  still  more  impressive,  because  it  is  some- 
what mysterious,  and  thus  provokes  attention  to 
the  explanation,  and  this  again  for  that  reason 
prints  itself  deeper  on  the  mind,  because  it  awak- 
ens surprise  that  a  symbol  so  unpretending  should 
have  such  a  weight  of  significance.  Hence  the  rea- 
son appears  why  visions  make  their  appearance  in 
the  conclusion  of  our  book.  There  was  in  the 
Rcnse  declared,  i.  e.,  not  so  much  in  fact  as  in  form, 
a  climax  in  the  revelations  to  the  prophet  and 
therefore  in  the  disclosure  to  the  people.  Since 
the  direct  statement  of  his  message  respecting  the 
:ertainty  of  the  judgment  and  the  ripeness  of  the 

Sjcople  fur  it,  appeared  not  to  be  enough  ;  at  last,  to 
eave  nothing  undone,  these  things  were  brought 
under  the  eye  in  the  form  of  plastic  visions  which 
the  prophet  saw  and  naturally  repeated  to  his  hear- 
ers. The  discourses  therefore  now  have  at  least  a 
negative  efficiency  in  the  opposition  to  which  they 
aroused  the  priest  Amaziah.  (It  is  certainly  wrong 
Jhenfore  to  refer  these  visions  with  the  narrative 
ic[)eiidiiig  on  them  to  an  earlier  period  than  the 
l)regoing  discourses.)     Thus  visions  occur,  as  we 


see,  in  one  of  the  oldest  prophets.  It  may  b« 
asked,  why  do  the  other  oldei-  prophets  have  either 
none  at  all  or  only  faint  traces  of  them  ?  It  u 
hardly  a  sufficient  reply  to  refer  the  matter  to  th« 
free  action  of  the  divine  Spirit.  Yet  this  would  nut 
be  incorrect  if  we  included  with  it  the  subjective 
factor  in  the  case,  since  men  allow  that  it  stands 
in  close  connection  with  the  separate  individuality 
of  the  prophets.  Not  every  one  of  these  was 
equally  inclined  to  this  mode  of  representatiuu, 
but  one  more  than  another,  since  a  certain  prepon- 
derance of  the  imaginative  faculty,  a  peculiar  ex- 
citability of  the  soul,  was  requisite  in  order  to  fit 
one  for  seeing  visions.  These  are  found  in  Amos, 
and  we  can  easily  see  a  certain  natural  affinity  be- 
tween the  herdsman  Amos  with  his  quick  sensibil- 
ities and  the  formation  of  outward  visions.  As  to 
the  visions  in  Ezekiel  and  Jeremiah,  we  refer  to 
the  Commentary  on  those  prophets. 

4.  The  centre,  the  lieart  of  a  nation  and  king- 
dom, is  found  in  its  sanctuaries  and  capital.  From 
these  proceeds  its  life ;  yes,  as  they  are,  so  is  the 
life  of  the  whole  people,  either  sound,  or  diseased, 
or  altogether  rotten.  If  the  heart  is  corrupt,  the 
blow  must  at  last  fall  on  this,  otherwise  no  help  is 
possible.  The  sanctuary  of  a  nation  is  its  chief 
nerve.  But  upon  this  the  court,  the  secular  gov- 
ernment, exerts  a  powerful  influence.  If  it  uses 
this  influence  to  subdue  the  sanctuary  into  an  in- 
strument of  its  own  plans  and  thus  corrupts  it, 
the  whole  people  is  corrupted ;  and  its  guilt  be- 
comes so  much  the  greater  and  God's  judgment 
the  more  certain.  How  significant  is  it  that  the 
priest  can  oppose  no  contrary  testimony  to  the 
prophetic  word !  All  he  can  do  is  to  denounce 
Amos  to  the  king,  and  thus  call  in  the  secular 
power.  Naturally  enough ;  for  he  is  the  court- 
priest,  and  is  stationed  at  Bethel,  which  is,  as  he 
says  with  a  naive  candor,  "a  king's  sanctuary  and 
a  seat  of  the  kingdom."  He  obviously  means  to 
say  something  of  great  moment  which  will  awe 
the  prophet,  and  is  not  conscious  of  the  poverty  of 
the  claim  he  makes  for  the  sanctuary.  As  sacred 
it  should  take  its  authority  from  God,  and  its  high- 
est boast  should  be  that  is  a  s-anctuary  of  God. 
Certainly  it  is  of  no  avail  to  root  its  authority  in 
that  of  the  great  and  noble,  for  then  it  becomes  a 
mere  tool  of  state  craft.  A  testimony  against  all 
Casareopapismus,  a  warning  to  every  state  Church 
never  to  forget  where  all  Church  authority  strikes 
its  roots, — not  in  the  protection  of  the  state  nor 
in  civil  privileges,  but  only  in  the  Word  of  God ; 
and  that  the  highest  glory  even  of  the  strongest 
established  Church  .should  be  that  it  has,  not  the 
state,  but  God  and  his  AVord  on  its  side. 

5.  "  There  eat  thy  bread  !  "  This  is  certainly 
the  main  thing  in  the  view  of  the  idol's  high-priest. 
He  sees  in  office  only  a  means  of  "  bread."  There- 
fore without  scruple  he  ascribes  the  same  view  to 
Amos.  But  the  true  prophet  repels  the  charge 
with  dignity.  He  seeks  not  for  money  or  means, 
he  needs  it  not;  he  does  not  or.ce  claim  the  title 
of  prophet,  for  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  title. 
When  he  came  forth  as  a  prophet,  it  was  not  for 
the  sake  of  the  name  or  the  office  any  more  than 
it  was  for  bread,  but  solely  in  obedience  to  God's 
direction.  But  as  he  did  not  seek  reward,  neither 
did  he  shun  danger  or  persecution ;  he  knew  that  the 
divine  commission  to  announce  wrath  to  a  godles? 
people  involved  peril,  but  he  did  not  therefore  for- 
bear. He  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  intimidated 
by  threats.  Even  if  men  would  not  hear  him  but 
would  try  to  close  his  mouth,  he  would  not  be  silent, 
He  must  speak,  because  he  bore  a  divine  command 


CHAPTER  VII. 


49 


6.  Strong  faith  belongs  to  the  calling  of  a 
prophet  who  is  to  announce  God's  punitive  wrath. 
Aud  not  only  that ;  but  quite  independent  of  the 
duty  of  reproving  the  lofty,  a  high  measure  of 
faith  is  needed  in  order  to  maintain  and  firmly  to 
utter,  in  the  midst  of  a  degenerate  "^ce.  the  con- 
viction that  God  still  rules  and  will  ^t  last  vindi- 
cate his  honor  and  his  law,  and  show  Himself  as 
Lord  and  Judge.  This  point  may  be  weakened 
by  a  reference  to  the  fact  that  the  prophets  did  not 
gpeak  of  themselves  but  only  as  organs  of  God, 
ana  made  their  announcements  only  by  virtue  of 
their  commission.  But  however  firmly  we  hold 
the  objective  character  of  the  prophetic  speech,  the 
more  we  i-egard  it  on  this  side,  yes,  even  the  more 
the  announcement  of  wrath  is  a  literal  prediction 
of  a  definite  form,  and  kind  and  degree  of  punish- 
ment ;  still  the  less  are  we  to  overlook  the  subjec- 
tive factor  in  the  case.  The  prophets  were  not 
soulless  instruments  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  according 
to  the  mechanical  theory  of  inspiration,  but  what 
they  had  to  disclose,  they  tlieraselves  believed  and 
were  firmly  convinced  of,  as  was  certainly  the  case 
with  the  herdsman  of  Tekoa.  Their  predictions 
of  punishment  in  the  face  of  a  prevailing  religious 
and  moral  corruption  testified  the  strength  of  their 
theocratic  conviction,  and  the  measure  of  their  vig- 
orous faith,  which  enabled  them  to  stand  unmoved 
and  declare  with  all  confidence,  the  Lord  —  al- 
though He  so  long  delays,  and  human  sin  appears 
to  triumph  —  will  lay  a  plumb-line  in  the  midst  of 
his  people  Israel,  or  as  in  chap,  viii.,  the  time  is 
ripe  for  judgment.  Certainly  there  is  a  reciprocal 
action  between  the  objective  factor  and  the  subjec- 
tive, between  the  divine  revelation  and  the  proph- 
et's degree  of  faith.  That  was  on  one  side  con- 
ditioned by  this,  but  so,  on  the  other,  a  higher 
measure  of  confidence  of  faith  was  the  fruit  and 
effect  of  the  divine  revelations  to  the  prophets. 
But  in  any  case  the  strength  of  any  one's  faith 
who  was  chosen  for  a  prophet,  rooted  itself  in  the 
general  revelation  to  and  in  Israel,  therefore  especi- 
ally in  that  which  was  deposited  in  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures. This  school  of  the  Spirit,  consisting  in  the 
Word  of  God,  was,  as  it  appears,  the  only  scliool 
which  Amos  ever  attended,  but  he  showed  himself 
a  very  apt  scholar,  he  was  not  so  much  an  auro- 
as  a  dfoSiSaKTos.  He  had  such  a  firm  conviction 
of  the  power  and  majesty  of  God.  and  especially  of 
his  righteousness  that  he  was  sure  that  He  would 
maintain  his  honor  and  demonstrate  his  govern- 
ment As  he  was  thus,  in  the  sense  of  1  Cor.  i. 
26  ff.,  worthy  and  fit  to  be  chosen  by  God  for  his 
messenger  and  prophet,  so  on  the  other  hand  that 
mission  fully  confirmed  him  in  the  assurance  of 
faith. 

[7.  The  latter  half  of  this  chapter  (vers.  10-17) 
has  been  cited  by  one  of  the  writers  of  Essays  and 
Reviews,  Prof  Jowett,  as  an  illustration  of  his 
assertion  that  "  the  failure  of  a  prophecy  is  never 
admitted  in  spite  of  Scripture  and  of  history." 
But  wherein  is  the  failure  here  ?  The  predictions 
are  first,  the  rising  against  the  house  of  Jeroboam 
with  the  sword,  which  was  lulfilled  (2  Kings  xv. 
10)  in  the  slaughter  of  Jeroboam's  son  aud  succes- 
Bor  by  Shallura  ;  secondly,  the  captivity  and  exile 
af  Israel,  the  fulfillment  of  which  is  patent ;  thirdly, 
the  terrible  denunciation  against  Amaziah,  his  wife 
and  his  children,  the  execution  of  which  is  confes- 
Bedly  not  recorded.  But  this  is  true  of  the  doom 
Dronounced  upon  other  individuals,  as  Shebna 
,'Is.  xxii.  17,  18),  Ahab  and  Zedekiah  (Jer.  xxix. 
22),  Shcmaiah  (Jer.  xxix.  32),  Pashur  (Jer.  xx. 
j),  etc.     Nor  is  it  all  strange,  when  one  considers 


the  excessive  brevity  of  the  accounts  of  the  later 
kings  and  revolutions.  There  is  nothing  at  all 
impossible  or  improbable  in  the  fate  pronounced 
upon  Amaziah.  And  "  unless  the  execution  of 
God's  sentence  upon  one  of  the  many  calf-priests 
in  Bethel  is  necessarily  matter  of  history,  it  has 
rather  to  be  shown  why  it  should  be  mentioned 
than  why  it  should  be  omitted."  Surely  the  bur. 
den  of  proof  lies  upon  the  objector.  —  C] 


HOMILETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL. 

[Ver.  1.  And  behold  he  formed  (was  forming) 
locusts.  The  very  least  things  then  are  as  much 
in  his  infinite  mind  as  what  we  call  the  greatest. 
The  same  power  of  God  is  seen  in  creating  the 
locust  as  the  universe.  But  further,  God  wa.. 
framing  them  for  a  special  end,  not  of  nature,  but 
of  his  moral  government  in  the  correction  of  man. 
In  this  vision  He  opens  our  eyes  and  lets  us  see 
Himself  framing  the  punishment  for  the  deserts  of 
sinners,  so  that  when  hail,  mildew,  caterpillars,  or 
some  hitherto  unknown  disease  wastes  our  crops, 
we  may  think  not  of  secondary  causes  but  of  our 
Judge.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  2.  Forgive,  I  beseech  thee.  He  sees  sin  at 
the  bottom  of  the  trouble,  and  therefore  concludes 
that  the  pardon  of  sin  must  be  at  the  bottom  of 
the  deliverance,  and  prays  for  that  in  the  first 
place.  Whatever  calamity  we  are  under,  personal 
or  public,  the  forgiveness  of  sin  is  that  which  we 
should  be  most  earnest  with  God  for.   (M.  Henry.) 

Ver.  3.  The  Lord  repented  for  this.  See  the 
power  of  prayer !  See  what  a  blessing  praying 
people,  praying  prophets  are  to  a  land !  Ruin  had 
many  a  time  broken  in,  had  they  not  stood  in  the 
breach.  See  how  re.idy,  how  swift  God  is  to  show 
mercy.     (M.  Henry.) 

Ver.  4.  God  called  to  contend  by  fire.  Man  by 
rebellion  challenges  God's  omnipotence.  God 
sooner  or  later  accepts  the  challenge.  K  man 
escapes  with  impunity,  then  he  had  chosen  well  in 
rejecting  God.  If  not,  what  folly  and  misery  was 
his  short-sighted  choice ;  short-lived  in  its  gain ; 
its  loss,  eternal !  Fire  stands  as  the  symbol  and 
summary  of  God's  most  terrible  judgments.  It 
spares  nothing;,  leaves  nothing,  not  even  the  out- 
ward form  of  what  it  destroys.     (Pusey.)  —  C] 

Ver.  .5.  We  should  pray  even  for  those  who  in 
our  judgment  are  worthy  of  punishment.  We 
may  at  least  implore  God's  mercy  on  their  behalf. 
Perhaps  He  will  forgive  and  grant  space  for  repent- 
ance. He  desires  not  the  death  of  the  sinner,  but 
that  he  turn  and  live.  On  this  ground  they  who 
know  the  mind  of  God,  always  intercede  even  for 
the  worst  of  sinners ;  although  if  the  judgment 
falls,  they  humbly  adore  the  holiness  of  God's 
ways  but  do  not  murmur. 

[Vei*.  7.  The  Lord  stood  —  with  a  plumb-line. 
There  was  so  to  speak  an  architectural  design  in 
God's  work  of  destroying  Israel  no  less  than  in 
his  former  favor  in  building  him  up.  God  does 
everj'thing  according  to  measure,  number  and 
weight.  As  one  said  of  old,  "  The  Deity  is  a  per- 
fect geometrician."     (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  10.  Amos  has  conspired,  etc.  Amaziah,  the 
high-priest,  thought  that  the  craft  whereby  he  had 
his  wealth  was  endangei'ed.  To  Jeroboam,  how- 
ever, he  says  nothing  of  these  fears,  but  maKes  it 
an  affair  of  state.  lie  takes  the  king  by  what  he 
thought  to  be  his  weak  side,  fear  for  his  own  power 
or  life.  Similar  was  the  experience  of  Jeremiah; 
of  our  Lord   and  of  his  Apostles.     And   so   thfl 


60 


AMOS. 


heathen  who  were  ever  conspiring  against  the  Ro- 
jaan  emperors  went  on  accusing  the  early  Chris- 
tians as  disloyal,  factious,  impious,  beoause  they 
did  not  offer  sacrifice  for  the  emperors  to  false 
gods,  but  prayed  for  them  to  the  true.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  11.  On  the  supposition  that  Amaziah  wil- 
fully distorted  Amos's  words,  the  same  writer  re- 
marks justly  enough,  "  A  lie  mixed  with  truth  is 
the  most  deadly  form  of  falsehood,  the  truth  serv- 
ing to  gain  admittance  for  the  lie  and  to  color  it. 
In  slander,  and  in  heresy  which  is  slander  against 
God,  truth  is  used  to  commend  the  falsehood  and 
falsehood  to  destroy  the  truth."  So  on  the  latter 
clause,  "  Amaziah  omits  both  the  ground  of  the 
threat  and  the  hope  of  escape  urged  upon  them. 
He  omits  too  the  prophet's  intercession  for  his 
people  and  selects  the  one  prediction  which  could 
give  a  mere  political  character  to  the  whole.  Sup- 
pression of  truth  is  a  yet  subtler  character  of  false- 
hood." 

Ver.  12.  Go,  eat  thy  bread.  Do  thou  live  by 
thy  trade  there,  and  let  me  live  by  my  trade  here. 
(Jerome).  Worldly  men  always  think  that  those 
whose  profession  is  religious  make  a  gain  of  godli- 
ness. Interested  people  cannot  conceive  of  one 
disinterested ;  nor  the  insincere  of  one  sincere. 
(Pusey.) 

Ver.  13.  It  IS  the  king's  chapel,  etc.  All  claims 
of  reverence  for  a  church  simply  and  merely  as 
a  national  establishment,  independently  of  divine 
institution,  are  no  better  than  these  assertions  of 
Amaziah.  The  first  royal  propo  under  of  what  is 
now  called  Erastianism  was,  as  far  as  we  know, 
Jeroboam  I. ;  the  first  priestly  advocate  of  it,  as 
far  as  we  know,  was  Amaziah.  Jerome,  in  his 
note  here,  applies  these  words  to  the  Arians  who 
appealed  to  Arian  emperors,  supporting  their  dog- 


mas, and  persecuting  the  orthodox  teachers,  by  the 
secular  arm.  When  in  the  fourth  century  Cath- 
olic bishops  of  Spain  invoked  the  power  of  tha 
PLmperor  Maximus  and  would  have  put  the  Pris- 
cillianists  to  death,  they  were  sternly  rebaked  and 
opposed  by  the  saintly  and  apostolic  bishop,  Mar 
tin  of  Tours.     (Wordsworth.) 

Ver.  14.  /  was  a  htrdman.  One  of  that  class 
to  which  Abraham  and  Moses  and  David  had  be- 
longed ;  but  not  rich  in  fields  and  herds,  in  men- 
servants  and  maid-servants,  like  the  first ;  nor 
learned  in  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians,  like  th« 
second  ;  nor  with  any,  the  most  distant  intimation 
that  he  might  one  day  be  the  shepherd  of  a  peo- 
ple, like  the  third.     (F.  D.  Maurice.) 

Ver.  15.  The  Lord  took  me,  —  the  Lord  said  unto 
me.  As  the  Apostles,  when  forbidden  to  teach  in 
the  name  of  Jesus,  answered,  we  must  obey  God 
rather  than  man,  so  Amos,  when  forbidden  by  the 
idol-priests  to  prophecy,  not  only  prophecies,  show- 
ing that  he  feared  God  bidding  more  than  their 
forbidding,  but  boldly  and  freely  denounces  the 
punishment  of  him  who  endeavored  to  forbid  and 
hinder  the  Word  of  God.     (Jerome.) 

Ver.  16.  Drop  nothing,  etc.  God's  Word  comes 
as  a  gentle  dew  or  soft  rain,  not  beating  down,  but 
refreshing  ;  not  sweeping  away  as  a  storm,  but 
sinking  in  and  softening  even  hard  ground,  all  but 
the  rock ;  gentle  so  as  they  can  bear  it.  God's 
Word  was  to  men  such  as  they  were  to  it ;  drop- 
ping like  the  dew  on  those  who  received  it :  wear- 
ing, to  those  who  hardened  themselves  against  it. 
(Pusey.) 

Ver.  17.  Thy  wife  shall  be  dishonored.  Thou 
teachest  idolatry  which  is  spiritual  harlotry ;  and 
thou  shalt  be  punished  by  harlotry  in  thine  own 
house  for  thy  sin.     ( Wordsworth.)  —  C] 


Chapter  Vin. 


Fourth  Vision :  Israel  ripe  for  Destruction.    Days  of  Mourning  threatened  against  the  Ungodiy.    AfUf> 

wards  a  Famine  of  the   Word. 


1  Thus  the  Lord  Jehovah  showed  me, 
And  behold,  a  basket  with  ripe  fruit.^ 

2  And  he  said,  What  seest  thou,  Amos  ? 
And  I  said,  A  basket  with  ripe  fruit. 
Then  said  Jehovah  to  me, 

"  The  end  ^  is  come  to  my  people,  Israel ; 
I  will  not  pass  by  them  any  more. 

3  And  the  songs  of  the  palace  '  shall  howl 
In  that  day,  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah  ; 

Corpses  in  multitude  ;  everywhere  has  he*  cast  them  fortii;  Hush!*** 

4  Hear  this,  ye  who  pant  ®  for  the  poor,  ^ 
And  to  destroy  the  meek ''  of  the  earth, 

5  Saying,  when  will  the  new  moon  be  over, 
That  we  may  sell  grain, 

And  the  Sabbath,  that  we  may  open  wheat? 
Making  the  ephah  small  and  the  shekel  great. 
And  falsifying  the  scales  of  deceit ; 

6  Buying  the  poor  for  silver. 


CHAPTER  Vm.  51 


And  the  needy  for  a  pair  of  shoes, 
And  the  refuse  of  the  wheat  will  we  sell. 

7  Jehovah  hath  sworn  by  the  pride  of  Jacob, 
Surely  I  will  never  forget  any  of  their  deeds. 

8  Shall  not  the  earth  tremble  for  this. 
And  every  dweller  therein  mourn  ? 
And  it  shall  rise  up,  all  of  it,  like  the  Nile,' 
And  shall  heave  and  sink  ^  like  the  Nile  of  Egypt 

9  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  saith  the  Lord  Jehoyali» 
That  I  will  cause  the  sun  to  go  down  at  noon, 
And  make  it  dark  to  the  earth  in  clear  day  ; 

10  And  will  turn  your  festivals  into  mourning. 
And  all  your  songs  into  lamentation  ; 
And  will  bring  sackcloth  upon  all  loins. 
And  baldness  upon  every  head  ; 

And  will  make  it  ^^  like  the  mourning  for  an  only  son, 
And  the  end  of  it  like  "  a  bitter  day. 

11  Behold,  days  are  coming,  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
When  I  wUl  send  a  hunger  into  the  land. 
Not  a  hunger  for  bread  nor  a  thirst  for  water, 
But  to  hear  the  words  of  Jehovah. 

12  And  they  shall  stagger  from  sea  to  sea. 
And  rove  about  from  the  north  even  to  the  east,. 
To  seek  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  and  shall  not  find  it. 

13  In  that  day  the  fair  virgins  shall  faint. 
And  the  young  men,  for  thirst. 

14  They  who  swear  by  the  sin  of  Samaria, 
And  say,  By  the  life  of  thy  God,  O  Dan  I 
And,  By  the  life  of  the  way  of  Beersheba  ! 
They  shall  fall  and  rise  no  more. 

TEXTUAL  AND  GRAMMATICAL. 

,  Y,f  2. VP    harvest,  summer,  here  =  summer-fruit,  or  gathered  fruit,  i.  «.,  fiilly  ripe,  as  2  Sam.  xrl.  1 ; 

tM.  1. 

[2  Ver.  2.  —  The  paronomasia  in  ^''|7  and   ^[7_   is  marked  and  forcible.     Cf.  Ezek.  Tii.  6.] 

8  Ver.  3.  —  bS'^n   here  manifestly  is  palace,  not  temple 
T  :  •■ 

4  Ver.  3.  —  Tl^btpn    has  Jehovah  for  its  subject  (Keil).     Others  take  it  impersonally  (Henderson),  but  Wordaworth 
(applies  "  every  one  ''  as  the  subject. 

5  Ver.  3.  —  ~n  is  by  some,  as  E.  V.,  rendered  as  an  a.dyeTb  =  quietly ;  but  always  elsewhere  it  is  an  inteijection, 
and  should  be  so  considered  here. 

6  Ver.  4.  —  D'^SStl?  =  pant  after  [Uke  a  dog  or  wild  beast  yelping  and  panting  after  its  prey.  Wordsworth].  Thli 
tense  is  clearly  required  by  the  second  member,  where  D"^SStC   is  to  be  supplied  before   H'^liltt??!/. 

7  Ver.  4. ^'T  327.    There  seems  no  reason  for  departing  from  the  textual  reading  here. 

8  Ver.  8.  —  ~l'S3  is  a  defective  form  for  ~lS"'D  (cf.  ch.  ix.  5),  a  reading  which   is   found  in  many  of  the  MSS. 

T  "  ^ 

»  Ver.  8.  —  nptt'3  is  a  softened  form  for  n2?i7C??,  which  is  given  in  the  Keri,  and  also  in  =iany  MSS.  Ofc 
nVptp,  ch.  ix.  5. 

10  Ver.  10.  —  The  suffix  in  H^nTitt?  refers  to  the  following  ^DK  [but  Keil  makes  it  refer  to  all  that  has  preriousl; 

T     •   :   -  V  V 

been  mentioned  as  done  upon  that  day.     So  Pusey.     Henderson  refers  it  to  \^7:^>  understood. 

11  Ver.  10.  —  The  3  in  Di^3,  is  Caph.  veriteUis, 

1-2  Ver.  12.  —  !)2?3T  This  word  is  used  of  the  reeling  of  drunkards,  of  the  swaying  to  and  fro  of  trees  in  the  wind 
,f  the  quivering  of  lips,  and  then  of  the  unsteady  seeking  of  persons  bewildered,  looking  for  what  they  know  not  when 
)p  find.     Fnsey.] 

13  Ver.  14.  —  TIT^.    Meier's  correction  of  thia  into  tJ'I'^,  =  tiiy  beloved,  is  conject  aaI  and  needless. 


52 


AMOS. 


EXEUETICAL  AND  CRIIICAL. 

1.  Vers.  1-3.  Fourth  Vision.  The  basket  with 
ripe  finiit.  No  more  forbearance.  Ver.  1.  This 
basket  is  an  image  of  a  people  ripe  for  judgment. 
The  play  upon  words  between  the  original  for 
'  ripe  fruit "  and  that  for  "  end,"  indicates  more, 
dearly  the  necessary  result  of  the  ripeness,  namely, 
the  downfall  of  the  people. 

Ver.  3.  Songs  become  howlings  —  wherefore"? 
The  answer  follows :  because  of  the  multitude  of 
the  dead.  The  exclamation  Hush !  is  an  admoni- 
tion to  bow  beneath  the  tremendous  severity  of 
the  divine  judgment. 

Vers.  4-14.  What  has  been  briefly  expressed  in 
vers.  1-3  is  here  expanded  into  a  longer  discourse, 
the  sinful  conduct  of  the  great  which  makes  them 
ripe  for  judgment,  and  the  heavy  penalty  which 
they  must  suffer. 

(a.)  Vers.  4-6.  Hear  this,  ye  who,  etc.  A 
description  of  their  wanton  course.  They  pant 
after  the  poor  and  destroy  the  meek  by  grasping  all 
property  for  themselves.  Cf.  Job  xxii.  8 ;  Is.  v.  8. 
This  is  further  defined  in  the  two  following  verses, 
in  which  the  prophet  makes  the  men  describe  their 
own  feelings  and  conduct. 

Ver.  5.  They  cannot  even  wait  for  the  end  of 
the  festival  in  order  to  resume  their  traffic.  The 
new  moon  was  a  holiday,  like  the  Sabbath,  on 
which  trade  and  business  ceased.  To  open  wheat 
=  to  open  the  granaries  ;  cf.  Gen.  xli.  56.  What 
Joseph  did  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  these  did 
for  their  own  advantage,  making  usurious  gains 
from  others'  poverty.  With  this  they  united 
fraud ;  by  diminishing  the  measure  and  increasing 
the  shekel  =  by  demanding  one  of  greater  weight 
than  the  right  standard  ;  and  by  falsifying  the 
scales  =  using  scales  arranged  so  us  to  cheat. 

Ver.  6.  Thus  the  poor  man  was  made  so  poor 
that  he  was  compelled  to  sell  himself  either  fur  a 
piece  of  silver  which  he  owed,  or  for  a  pair  of 
shoes  which  he  had  gotten  and  was  unable  to  pay 
for.  Thus  he  could  not  meet  the  smallest  expendi- 
ture. To  complete  the  case,  only  the  refuse  grain 
was  sold  to  them,  for  which  yet  they  had  to  pay  the 
same  as  for  good  grain. 

(b.)  Vers.  7-14.  Punishment  of  such  wickedness. 
(1.)  Vers.  7-10.  Hath  sworn  by  the  pride  of 
Jacob,  i.  e.,  by  himself  who  was  the  pride  and 
glory  of  Israel.  "  ^y  leaving  such  sins  unpun- 
ished He  would  deny  his  glory  in  Israel."  (Keil.) 

Ver.  8.  Therefore  or  for  this,  namely,  for  these 
deeds.  These  are  Jehovah's  words,  and  carry 
Dut  the  thought  of  "  not  forgetting  the  deeds,"  by 
a  delineation  of  the  impending  judgment.  The 
question,  Shall  not,  etc.,  is  intended  to  forestall 
the  idea  that  such  things  could  be  left  unpunished. 
It  is  incorrect  to  refer  the  "  for  this,"  to  the  pun- 
ishment as  if  it  were  intended  to  emphasize  that. 
The  form  of  the  speech,  i.  e.,  the  question,  does 
not  suit  this  view ;  and  besides,  in  that  case  the 
punishment  itself  would  be  really  indicated  only 
in  ver.  7,  so  that  this  unusual  prominence  of  its 
impressiveness  would  be  witiiout  a  motive.  The 
Baiiie  words  recur  in  ch.  ix.  5,  but  there  as  a  de- 
fccription  of  God's  omnipotence,  manifesting  itself, 
however,  in  judgments.  The  earth  heaves,  be- 
tause  the  Lord  touches  it  (ch.  ix.  5).  The  trem- 
bling of  the  earth  as  a  heaving  and  sinking  is  ex- 
plained by  comparison  with  the  rise  and  fall  of 
the  Nile. 

Ver.  9.  In  that  day,  i.  e.,  the  day  of  the  judg- 
aaent,  in  which  what  has  just  been  mentioned  is  to 


take  place.  In  close  connection  with  the  trembling 
of  the  earth  is  its  becoming  dark  :  the  one  is  not 
conceivable  without  the  other.  At  bottom  ver.  ^ 
describes  a  return  of  the  earth  to  its  original  cond» 
tion  of  chaos  —  the  sun  go  down  at  midday ; 
not  a  mere  eclipse,  but  a  catastrophe  which  sul> 
verts  the  order  of  nature.  [An  eclipse  is  not  tha 
"  going  down  "  of  the  sun.  The  minute  calcula- 
tions of  Hitzig  and  Michaelis,  repeated  and  ex- 
tended byPnsey,  are  therefore  quite  aside  from  tha 
purpose.  —  C] 

Ver.  10  describes  more  minutely  the  general 
mourning  already  touched  upon  in  ver.  8.  Cf.  v. 
3  ;  ch.  v.  16  ;  Hosea  ii.  13.  Baldness  upon  e-very 
head.  The  shaving  of  a  bald  place  was  a  sign  uf 
mourning.    Cf.  Is.  iii.  124. 

(2.)  Vers.  11-14.  A  new  and  peculiar  trait  lu 
the  delineation  of  the  judgment,  the  bitter  day. 
The  Word  of  God,  which  men  now  despise,  they 
will  then  long  fur,  but  in  vain.  Too  late  I  This 
threat  bears  obliquely  upon  the  insatiable  avarice 
of  those  who  live  in  luxury  through  their  oppres- 
sion of  the  poor.  At  the  same  time  they  are  the 
persons  who  now  will  not  listen  to  the  Word  of 
God. 

Ver.  12.  They  stagger,  because  plagued  by 
hunger  and  thirst.  From  sea  to  sea,  indefinitely, 
the  sea  being  conceived  of  as  the  end  of  the  earth 
(Ps.  Ixxii.  8).  From  the  north  to  the  east — 
from  north  to  south,  and  from  east  to  west,  i.  e., 
to  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Ver.  13.  So  great  is  the  torment  of  this  unsat- 
isfied hunger  and  thirst  that  the  strongest  suc- 
cumb to  it;  these  are  individualized  as  the  young 
men  and  the  maidens  ;  if  they  fail,  much  more 
the  weak. 

Ver.  14.  The  sin  of  Samaria  =  that  by  which 
Samaria  sins,  the  golden  calf  at  Bethel.  This  is 
the  most  ])robal)le  explanation,  because  of  the  cor- 
responding expression  in  the  next  clause,  the  god 
of  Dan  =  the  golden  calf  there.  By  the  life  of 
the  way;  by  the  life  of,  is  a  customary  formula 
of  swearing,  here  improperly  used  lU  reference  to 
a  thing.  The  way  of  Beersheba=  the  way  by 
which  men  go  to  Beersheba,  to  the  worship  there. 
The  swearing  by  these  objects  shows  that  the 
young  men  and  maidens  are  worshippers  of  these 
idols  and  make  pilgrimages  to  Beersheba. 


DOCTRINAL   AND    JIOHAL 

1.  According  to  our  chapter  the  ripeness  of  the 
people  for  judgment  is  due  to  the  violence  and  in- 
justice practiced  by  the  rich  and  noble  upon  the 
poor.  These  are  peculiarly  flagitious  sins  which 
call  down  the  judgments  of  God.  As  such  a 
statement  reveals  to  us  a  degree  of  moral  corrup- 
tion which  is  frightful,  so  we  learn  from  the  sever- 
ity with  which  the  sins  are  rebuked  and  con- 
demned, not  only  the  spirit  of  justice  but  also  the 
compassion  which  belongs  to  the  religion  of  the 
Old  Testament.  It  desires  that  every  one,  even 
the  poorest,  should  have  his  i-ights,  and  even 
comes  forward  to  protect  the  poor  as  such  against 
the  violence  of  the  rich.  They  have  a  counsellor 
in  God,  who,  as  He  piotects  them  by  the  law,  con- 
tinues to  do  so  by  the  penalties  imposed  upon  the 
transgressors  of  the  law.  He  does  indeed  bear 
long  with  those  tran.sgressors  who  oppress  the 
poor,  so  that  it  may  appear  as  if  He  had  forgotten 
them ;  but  as  He  owes,  so  to  speak,  the  duty  of 
sympathy  with  the  poor  and  their  necessities,  bo 
does  He  also  that  of  forbearance  with  their  oppre* 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


53 


Bors,  because  He  desires  not  the  death  of  the  sin- 
ner but  rather  that  he  would  turn  and  live. 

2.  The  frightful  severity  of  God's  judgments,  so 
far  from  being  opposed  to  the  compassion  which 
cares  for  the  poor  and  feeble,  is  rather  in  full  har- 
mony with  it.  The  modern  polemical  spirit 
against  the  Old  Testament  descriptions  of  this 
Severity,  betrays  its  origin  too  plainly ;  it  knows 
nothing  in  truth  of  sin,  and  therefore  nothing  of 
the  divine  judgment  upon  sin.  It  foils  to  see  that 
llic  love  which  it  claims  for  its  God,  really  be- 
comes the  greatest  harshness,  since  it  denies  the 
])ossibility  of  the  jumishment  of  sinners  and  there- 
fore any  efBcacious  opposition  to  the  unrighteous- 
ness wrought  by  them.  Only  a  God  who  is  truly 
terror  malorum  can  truly  be  amor  bonorum.  More- 
over we  do  as  a  matter  of  fact  continually  meet 
with  occurrences,  in  detail  and  in  gross,  which  un- 
deniably are  judgments  upon  the  sins  of  men,  and 
that  in  these  there  is  an  execution  of  a  law  of 
moral  government,  can  just  as  little  be  denied.  So 
much  the  more  foolish  then  is  the  opposition  to 
the  so-called  ferocious  God  of  the  Jews,  to  the  re- 
tiiiiatory  spirit  of  tlie  Old  Testament.  Now  he- 
cause  men  do  not  believe  that  there  is  and  must  be 
iu  God,  along  with,  or  rather  lor  the  sake  of,  the 
love  which  He  is,  strictness  in  judgment,  He  is  ob- 
liged to  show  to  a  race  which  has  lost  its  taith  in 
the  God  of  the  Scriptures,  by  actual  facts,  as  vio- 
lent as  those  of  tlie  year  1870,  that  the  storms  of 
divine  wrath  are  not  merely  outgrowths  of  a 
crude,  undisciplined  view  of  life,  and  tokens  of  a 
low  state  of  culture,  but  a  reality,  planted  in  the 
midst  of  a  century  claiming  to  itself  the  highest 
culture.  When  the  measure  is  full,  these  storms 
break  forth,  and  a  luindrcd  times  over  put  to  flight 
"  culture,"  "  love,"  and  all  similar  watchwords  of 
the  modern  spirit.  Then  there  often  comes  sud- 
denly a  "shaking  "of  the  earth,  or  gloom  falls 
upon  an  entire  nation  so  that  it  becomes  dark  in 
bright  daylight,  or  the  festivals  are  turned  into 
mourning  and  songs  into  lamentations,  or  all  loins 
are  clothed  in  sackcloth, — just  when  men  in  their 
blind  security  held  such  things  to  be  impossible. 
Yes,  times  of  war  furnish  only  too  striking  illus- 
trations of  those  words  of  Scripture  which  a  race, 
strong  in  the  conviction  of  its  own  leadership, 
coolly  dismisses  as  a  coarse  and  antiquated  rhet- 
oric, while  it  passes  to  the  order  of  the  day. 
Such  fearful  periods  compel  even  an  unbelieving 
race  to  forebode  that  the  final  judgment  may  prove 
a  reality  compared  with  which  all  preceding  judg- 
ments are  trifles.  But  faith  sees  in  these  latter 
a  divine  finger-mark  pointing  to  the  former,  for 
which  reason  men  of  God,  like  the  prophets,  con- 
tinually unite  with  their  descriptions  of  interme- 
diate judgments  a  reference  to  the  last  great  judg- 
ment ;  and  this  the  more  when  they  describe 
judgments  which  are  at  least  relatively  decisive, 
inasmuch  as  they  make  an  end  of  an  entire  king- 
dom. 

3.  When  divine  judgments  come  and  give  flam- 
ing proof  of  God's  existence  to  a  race  which  has 
forsaken  and  forgotten  Him,  the  once  despised  and 
hated  word  of  the  Lord  is  appreciated  again.  Men 
"  hunger  and  thirst  "  for  it,  but  often  at  first  not 
in  the  right  way.  They  desire  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible to  hear  of  promises  and  consolations,  and  to 
these  every  ear  is  open.  But  it  is  in  vain.  We  now 
aeed  expect  no  new  revelation  from  God.  We  have 
''  his  Word  "  in  the  Scripture.  But  when  this  is 
a  long  time  despised,  it  follows  at  last  that  there  is 
no  one  to  preach  it,  and  without  a  living  preacher, 
it  is  finally  lost.     Or  if  it  is  preached,  it  has  no 


power  to  console,  and  men  fiiil  to  find  what  thej 
seek.  Thus  there  ensues  a  longing  which  is  not  sat> 
isfied.  The  result  is  otherwise  only  when  men  hovt 
themselves  in  penitence  under  the  divine  threaten- 
ings  as  deserved,  and  under  the  divine  Spirit  in- 
wardly blame  themselves  for  their  previous  apos- 
tasy. But  who  knows  whether  man  will  find  room 
for  repentance  1  Before  he  reaches  that  point,  while 
he  is  in  the  midst  of  his  vain  longing  for  comfort, 
he  may  be  snatched  away. 


HOMILETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL. 

[Ver.  1.  Thus  the  Lord  —  shewed  me.  The  sen- 
tence of  Amaziah  being  pronounced,  Amos  re- 
sumes just  where  he  had  left  off  before.  Araa- 
ziah's  vehement  interruption  is  like  a  stone  cast 
into  deep  waters.  They  close  over  it,  and  it  leaves 
no  trace.  The  last  vision  declared  that  the  end 
was  certain  ;  this,  that  it  was  at  hand.     (Pusey.) 

Ver.  2.  A  basket  with  ripe  fruit.  At  harvest  time 
there  is  no  more  to  be  done  for  the  crop.  Good  or 
bad,  it  has  i-eached  its  end  and  is  cut  down.  So 
the  harvest  of  Israel  was  come.  .  .  Heavenly  influ- 
enees  cair  but  injure  the  ripened  sinner,  as  dew, 
rain,  sun,  but  injure  the  ripened  fruit.  Israel  was 
ripe,  but  for  destruction.  (Ibid.)  Rev.  xvi.  18, 
Gatlier  the  clusters  of  the  earth,  for  her  grapes  are 
fully  ripe.  (Ibid.) 

Ver.  3.  The  songs  shall  howl.  When  sounds  of 
joy  are  turned  into  wailing,  there  must  be  complete 
sorrow.  They  are  not  merely  hushed  but  turned 
into  their  opposite.  Just  the  I'cverse  is  promised 
to  the  godlv:  Blessed  are  ye  that  weep  now,  for 
ye  shairiaugh  (Luke  vi.  21 ).     [Ibid.) 

Ver.  .5.  Wlien  will  the  new  moon  be  over?  The 
Psalmist  said.  When  shall  I  come  and  appear  be- 
fore God  i  These  said,  When  will  this  service  be 
over  that  we  may  be  our  own  masters  again  ? 

Sin  in  wrong  measures  once  begun  is  unbroken. 
All  sin  perpetuates  itself;  it  is  done  again  because 
it  has  been  done  before.  But  sins  of  a  man's  daily 
occupation  are  continued  of  necessity,  beyond  the 
simple  force  of  habit  and  the  ever  increasing  dropsy 
of  covctousness.  To  interrupt  them  is  to  risk  de- 
tection. How  countless  then  their  number!  When 
human  law  was  enforced  in  a  city  after  a  time  of  neg- 
lii:ence,  scarcely  a  weight  was  found  to  be  honest. 
Prayer  went  up  to  God  on  the  Sabbath,  and  fraud 
on  the  poor  went  up  to  God  in  every  transaction  on 
the  other  six  days.    (Pusey.) 

Ver.  7.  Jehovah  hath  sworn,  etc.  God  must  cease 
to  be  God,  if  He  did  not  do  what  He  sware  to  do  — 
punish  the  oppressors  of  the  poor.  (76.)  Wo,  and 
a  thousand  woes,  to  that  man  that  is  cut  off  by  an 
oath  of  God  from  all  benefit  by  pardoning  me.  cy. 
(M.  Henry.)  —  C]  The  evil  deeds  of  the  wick-ed 
are  inscribed  in  a  perpetual  memorial  before  God ; 
but  the  sins  of  believers  are  cast  by  Him  into  the 
depths  of  the  sea  so  that  they  never  again  coma 
into  mind.    Micah  vii.  19.    (Pf.  B.  W.) 

[Ver.  8.  Shall  not  the  earth  tremble  for  this?  Those 
who  will  not  tremble  and  mourn  as  they  ought  for 
national  sins  shall  be  made  to  tremble  and  mourn 
for  national  judgments.     (M.  Henry.) 

Ver.  9.  The  sun  goes  down  at  noon.  Sorrow  is 
saddest  when  it  comes  upon  fearless  joy.  God 
commonly  in  his  mercy  sends  heralds  of  coming 
sorrow;  very  few  burst  suddenly  upon  man.  Now 
in  the  meridian  brightness  of  the  day  of  Israel,  the 
blackness  of  night  should  fiiU  uj)on  him.  (Pusey.) 

Ver.  10.  Turn  your  feasts  into  mourning.  As  to 
the  upright   there   ariseth  light   in    the  darkness 


5i 


AMOS. 


which  gives  thein  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  so 
on  the  wicked  there  falls  darkness  in  the  midst  of 
light  which  turns  their  joy  into  heaviness.  I'he 
end  of  it  as  a  bitter  day.  There  is  no  hope  that 
when  things  are  at  the  worst,  they  will  mend.  No, 
the  state  of  impenitent  sinners  grows  worse  and 
worse ;  and  the  last  of  all  will  be  the  worst  of  all. 
(M.  Henry.) 

Ver.  11.  Not  a  hunger  for  bread.  In  death  and 
dreariness,  in  exile  from  the  land  of  their  fathers, 
crushed  by  oppressors,  hearing  only  of  gods  more 
cruel  than  those  who  make  them,  how  will  they 
hunger  and  thirst  for  any  tidings  of  one  who  cares 
for  the  weary  and  heavy-laden,  one  who  would  have 
man-servant  and  maid,  the  cattle  and  the  stranger 
within  the  gates  to  rest  as  well  as  the  prince ;  of 
one  who  had  fixed  the  year  of  jubilee  that  the 


debtor  might  be  released  and  the  captive  go  free 
O,  what  a  longing  in  a  land  of  bondage  to  heal 
of  such  a  Being ;  to  believe  that  all  that  had  been 
told  of  Him  in  former  days  was  not  a  dream,  to 
have  a  right  to  tell  their  children  that  it  was  trm 
for  them  !    (Maurice.) 

Ver.  12.  From  sea  to  sea,  etc.  Even  the  profane, 
when  they  see  no  help,  will  have  recourse  to  God. 
Saul  in  his  extremity  inquired  of  the  Lord,  and 
He  answered  him  not,  neither  by  dreams,  nor  by 
Urim,  nor  by  prophets.  (Pusey.)  Such  is  the  pres- 
ent condition  of  the  Jews.  They  roam  in  restless 
vagrancy  about  the  world  and  seek  the  word  of 
God  ;  but  they  find  it  not,  because  they  have  killed 
the  incarnate  Word  revealed  in  the  written  word 
(Jerome.) — C] 


Vijih  Vision. 


Chapter  IX. 

The  Dovmfall.    Not  even  a  little  Grain  peiishes.    After  the  Overthrow  of  all  careUia  Sintun 
God  will  raise  the  fallen  Tent  of  David  to  new  Glory. 


I  saw  the  Lord  standing  at  ^  the  altar, 

And  He  said,  Smite  the  top  ^  tliat  the  thresholds  may  tremble, 

And  dash  them^  upon  the  head  of  all, 

And  their  remnant  I  will  kill  with  the  sword  ; 

He  that  fleeth  of  them  shall  not  flee  away, 

And  he  that  escapeth  of  them  shall  not  be  delivered. 

2  If  they  break  through ''  into  hell, 
From  thence  will  my  hand  take  them  ; 
And  if  they  climb  up  to  hea\'en. 
Thence  will  I  bring  them  down. 

3  And  if  they  hide  themselves  on  the  top  of  Carmel, 
From  thence  will  I  search  and  take  them  out. 

And  if  they  conceal  themselves  from  my  sight  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea^ 
From  thence  will  I  command  the  serpent  ^  and  he  bites  them. 

4  And  if  they  go  into  captivity  before  their  enemies, 

From  thence  will  I  command  the  sword,  and  it  slays  them, 
And  I  set  mine  eye  upon  them  for  evil  and  not  for  good. 

5  And  the  Lord,  Jehovah  of  hosts, 

Who  toucheth  the  earth  and  it  melteth,® 
And  all  that  dwell  therein  mourn  ; 
And  the  whole  of  it  riseth  up  like  the  Nile, 
And  sinketh  down  like  the  Nile  of  Egypt, 

6  Who  buildeth  his  upper  chambers ''  in  the  heaven, 
And  his  vault,*  —  over  the  earth  He  founded  it, 
WTjo  calleth  to  the  waters  of  the  sea, 

And  poureth  them  out  upon  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
Jehovah  is  his  Name. 


Are  y3  not  as  the  sons  of  the  Cushites  unto  me, 

Ye  sons  of  Israel  ?  saith  Jehovah. 

Have  not  I  brouglit  up  Israel  from  the  land  of  Egypt, 

And  the  Philistines  from  Caphtor, 

And  the  Syrians  from  Kir  ? 

liehold,  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  are  upon  the  sinf  d  kingdom,* 

And  I  will  destro3'  it 


CHAPTER  IX  56 


From  off  the  face  of  the  earth, 

Saving  that  ^°  I  will  not  utterly  destroy  the  house  of  Jacob,  saith  the  Lord. 
9  For  behold,  I,  I  will  command 

And  will  shake  the  house  of  Israel  among  all  nations, 

As  one  shaketh  in  a  sieve, 

And  not  even  a  little  grain  "  shall  fall  to  the  ground. 

10  By  the  sword  shall  all  the  sinners  of  my  people  die, 
Who  say.  The  evil  will  not  overtake  nor  reach  ^^  us. 

11  In  that  day  will  I  raise  up 
The  fallen  hut '»  of  David, 
And  wall  ^*  up  its  breaches, 
And  raise  up  its  ruins,^* 

And  build  it  '*  as  in  the  days  of  old ; 

12  That  they  may  possess  ^'^  the  remnant  of  Edom  and  all  the  nations 
Upon  whom  my  name  is  called, 

Saith  Jehovah  who  doeth  this. 

13  Behold,  the  days  are  coming,  saith  Jehovah, 
When  the  ploughman  reaches  to  the  reaper, 
And  the  treader  of  grapes  to  the  sower  of  seed ; 
And  the  mountains  drop  new  wine. 

And  all  the  hills  melt : 

14  And  I  bring  back  the  captives  '*  of  my  people,  Israel, 
And  they  build  the  waste  cities,  and  inhabit  them, 
And  plant  vineyards  and  drink  their  wine, 

And  make  gardens  and  eat  their  fruit. 

15  And  I  plant  them  upon  their  land. 

And  they  shall  no  more  be  torn  up  out  of  their  land  which  I  gave  to  them, 
Saith  Jehovah,  thy  God. 

TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 
[1  Ver.  1.  —  V^,  used  with  ^!J3  =  at  or  by.     Cf.  Gen.  xTiii.  2;  1  Sam.  iy.  20.] 

a  Ver.  1 —  "linD5  =  '^°ob,  h.  pillar-top  or  capital,  P]Z)  =  threshold,  usually  that  over  which  one  enters  a  build- 
tog,  but  also  =  the  foundation-beams  in  which  the  posts  are  inserted.     So  here. 

5  Ver.  1.  —  E^-^Zl  for  D37^I1  (Green,  Heb.  Gr.,  125,  1).  The  suffix  D —  has  no  exact  antecedent.  It  cannot  be 
referred  naturally  to  CDD,  nor  in  order  to  admit  of  such  reference  should  the  latter  word  be  altered  to  mean  "  pro- 
jecting roof  of  the  temple  supported  by  pillars."  It  belongs  to  '^ij^D^j  ^""^  either  denotes  that  the  capital  on  various 
pillars  was  struck,  or  the  thought  is  that  one  capital  was  dashed  into  many  pieces.  [KeU  and  Hengstenberg  refer  it  to 
both  the  capitals  and  the  thresholds  or  the  entire  building,  which  is  greatly  preferable.] 

4  Ver.  2.  —  "Ijjin  with  3  =  to  break  through  into. 

6  Ver.  3.  —  ffiTlS  =  water-serpent,  not  to  be  more  closely  defined  —  elsewhere  called  ^n"*")  V  or  "J''3P|.    Is  xxvii.  1. 

«  Vep  5.  —  3^^,  lit.  to  melt ;  here  denotes  the  dissolution  of  the  earth.  Others  [Fiirst]  =  to  fail  through  fiear,  to 
quake.    The  latter  half  of  the  verse  is  repeated  with  insignificant  alterations  from  chap.  viii.  ver.  8. 

7  Ver.  6.  —  i~n727Q  =  jTT'^y,  Ps.  cir.  3,  lit.,  places  to  which  one  has  to  ascend,  upper  chambers,  lofts 

8  Ver.  6.  —  n"^:iS,  vault  =  27 V"l. 

9  Ver.  8.  —  D1S2,  '''■)  they  rest  upon  the  sinful  kingdom,  in  order  to  destroy  it.  [Verbs  and  noiuis  expressive  M 
»nger  are  connected  by  3  with  the  object  on  which  the  anger  rests.    Cf.  Ps.  xxxiv.  17  [Hengst.j. 

10  Ver.  8  —  "'^  D2S  introduces  a  limitation. 

11  Ver. 9. —  Tl"1^,  'I'^.a  thing  tightly  bound  together;  hence  anything  solid,  as  a  pebble  or  litt'.e  stone  (2  S&m. 
rrd.  13) ;  here,  a  kernel  or  grain  of  com,  as  oppo.sed  to  the  loose,  dusty  chaff. 

12  Ver  10.  —  "T^2  D'^^pFI,  lit.,  to  come  between  =  so  as  to  block  up  the  way  of  escape.  [Usage  requires  us  t« 
nnd«r,  "  to  come  to  meet  one  round  about,"  i.  e.,  from  every  side.] 

18  Ver.  11.—  nSp,  tit.,  a  booth,  here  a  hut. 

14  Ver.  11.  —  "*J*\I~?"32,  the  "  dose  "  of  E.  V.,  is  better  replaced  by  "  wall "  from  the  margin.  The  plural  suffix  in  "1?} 
probably  refers  to  "  walls  "  understood.    [Keil  and  Hengstenberg  say  that  it  indicates  that  both  kingdoms  are  intend»d 

16  Ver   11.  —  The  suffix  in    D"in  refers  to  Israel  understood  [but  others  refer  it  to  David}. 


66 


AMOS. 


x9  Ver.  jil.  —  The  sa&x.  in    ^312    all  agree,  refers  to  the  fullen  hut. 

17  Ver  12.  —  ^m  '1'^^,  take  possession  of,  in  reference  to  Num.  xxiv.  18. 

M  Ver.  14.  —  n^Utt?  I!l'"lCi7.  Keil  vainly  contenda  against  explaining  this  formula  as  meaning  "  to  restore  the  aapi 
ilTM,"  and  insists  that  it=  to  turn  a  state  of  misery  into  one  of  prosperity.  [Uengstenberg  strongly  maintains  the  1st- 
tar  view,  which  indeed  in  such  eases  as  Job  xlii.  10  must  be  admitted.] 


EXEGETICAL  AND  CRITICAL. 

A  Fifth  Vision.  In  the  four  previous  visions,  the 
I/ord  showed  the  prophet  only  what  He  was  about 
to  do ;  in  this  one  the  prophet  sees  the  Lord  actu- 
ally engaged  in  executing  his  judgment. 

1.  Vers.  1-4,  describe  an  annihilating  judgment 
which  none  can  escape.  Ver.  1.  The  altar  here 
cannot  possibly  denote  the  one  at  Jerusalem,  in 
spite  of  all  that  Keil  urges  to  the  contrary.  In 
that  case  the  object  of  the  vision  would  be  one  es- 
sentially different  from  that  which  is  mentioned  in 
the  threatening,  namely,  all  Israel,  and  would  be 
Judah  in  particular,  and  this,  without  any  indica- 
tion of  th«  change.  There  is  the  less  reason  for 
assuming  such  a  change,  since  the  chapter  does  not 
give  any  statement  of  sins  as  the  ground  of  the 
judgment  the  execution  of  which  it  records.  The 
reason  of  the  omission  is  that  the  necessity  for  this 
judgment  has  been  already  shown  in  the  setting 
forth  of  the  sins  of  the  ten  tribes.  Hence  our  chap- 
ter treats  of  a  judgment  upon  this  kingdom.  That 
judgment  has  already  been  threatened  and  the 
grounds  of  it  assigned,  whereas  one  of  another 
kind  would  require  the  reasons  for  it  to  be  stated. 
But  there  is  an  entire  lack  of  such  reasons  ;  for  the 
prophet,  in  spite  of  what  he  says  in  chap.  ii.  ver.  4, 
does  not  consider  Judah  as  deserving  such  a  com- 
plete destruction  of  its  political  existence  as  this 
chapter  describes.  Such  a  judgment  corresponds 
to  the  condition  of  things  in  Israel,  but  not  at  all 
to  that  in  Judah  so  far  as  known  to  the  prophet. 
And  it  by  no  means  follows  that  because  an  anni- 
hilating stroke  afterwards  fell  upon  this  kingdom, 
the  prophet  announced  it  here.  That  would  be  to 
take  a  very  nnhistorical  view  of  prophecy.  We 
should  rather  say  that  if  he  announced  such  a  fate, 
he  would  also  have  described  Judah  as  meriting  it. 
But  he  does  no  such  thing.  Therefore  he  knows  of 
no  such  corruption  in  Judah,  regards  its  measure 
of  iniquity  as  not  yet  full,  and  hence  knows  noth- 
ing of  the  judgment  which  was  one  day  to  destroy 
it.  But  in  fact,  had  Judah's  sin  become  so  gross, 
and  had  the  prophet  known  of  it,  still  it  would  not 
have  been  noticed  in  this  connection,  because  Amos 
is  not  a  prophet  for  Judah,  but  only  touches  that 
kingdom  lightly,  for  the  most  part  passing  it  over 
•wholly.  And  it  cannot  be  assumed  that  he  threat- 
ens such  a  destructive  visitation  upon  Judah  equally 
with  Israel,  whose  desert  of  punishment  he  has  set 
forth  not  only  immediately  before,  but  in  a  contin- 
uous series  of  chapters.  A  fundamental  law  of 
prophecy  is  to  balance,  so  to  speak,  the  sinfulness 
and  the  judgment  against  each  other.  But  no 
such  statement  concerning  Judah  is  found  in  our 
chapter.  In  fine,  it  is  only  by  violence  that  the 
phrase,  the  sinful  kingdom,  can  be  understood  to 
mean  "  Israel  and  Judah  embraced  in  one."  No, 
if  the  kingdom  of  Israel  is  so  expressly  and  amply 
described  as  sinful  and  then  expressly  named  "  the 
einful  kingdom,"  then,  according  to  all  the  rules  of 
a  sound  hermeneutics,  certainly  this  kingdom  of 
Israel  must  be  intended  in  the  first  place,  and  not 
•it  the  same  time  another  kingdom  the  sinfulness 
•f  •which  was  not  specially  noticed. 


Smite,  according  to  the  simplest  view,  is  ad 
dressed  to  the  prophet.  For  of  angels  (Keil)  there 
is  no  mention  here.  The  prophet  is  not  to  be 
merely  a  spectator,  but  takes  part  in  the  action. 
That  he  was  not  in  a  situation  to  do  what  is  here 
enjoined  is  no  objection,  for  the  whole  transaction 
takes  place  in  vision.  A  blow  which  strikes  the  pil- 
lar-capitals so  that  the  foundation-beaniF  shake,  is 
manifestly  =  a  crash  that  brings  the  whole  building 
to  the  ground.  We  are  then  to  think  of  a  temple. 
The  shaking  to  the  ground  is  only  the  first  step  ; 
the  stroke  aims  farther,  namely,  to  break  to  pieces. 
Upon  the  head  of  all ;  the  whole  people  is  con- 
sidered as  assembled  around  the  national  sanc- 
tuary. What  is  meant,  then,  is  a  destruction,  and 
that  total.  That  no  one  can  escape  is  expressly 
said  afterwards,  but  with  a  change  from  the  lan- 
guage of  vision  to  that  of  reality.  Their  remnant 
refers  to  the  all,  and  shows  that  it  is  to  be  under- 
stood in  its  full  force, — should  any  succeed  in  es- 
caping the  crash  of  the  building,  even  these  God 
would  slay  with  the  sword.  The  universality  of 
the  destruction  is  also  negatively  set  forth  in  the 
remaining  clauses  of  ver  1,  and  is  still  farther  ex- 
panded with  poetical  minuteness  in  the  three  fol- 
lowing verses.    Cf.  Ps.  cxxxix.  7,  8. 

Ver.  .3.  On  the  top  of  Carmel.  Named  partly 
as  a  mountain  which  is  of  considerable  height  as 
compared  with  the  sea  over  which  it  rises,  and 
partly  as  a  point  on  the  extreme  western  boundary 
of  the  kingdom.  "  Whoever  hides  himself  there, 
must  know  of  no  other  secure  refuge  in  all  the 
land  beside.  And  if  there  be  no  security  there, 
nothing  is  left  but  the  sea." 

Ver.  4.  Even  going  into  captivity  shall  not  save 
them. 

2.  Vers.  5,  6.  To  confirm  the  threatening,  God 
is  described  as  almighty,  such  illustrations  being 
cited  as  show  his  omnipotence  in  destroying  =  He 
who  thus  speaks  is  the  Lord,  who  touches  the 
earth,  etc.  The  first  two  members  of  ver.  5  stand 
in  close  relation  to  what  follows,  and  are  its  foun- 
dation. Inasmuch  as  the  Lord  is  enthroned  in 
heaven,  he  is  in  a  condition  to  call  in  the  waters  of 
the  sea,  etc.  (and  while  such  devastations  are 
wrought  in  the  earth.  He  himself  is  untouched  by 
them).  We  are  not,  with  Keil,  to  think  here  of 
"  a  mountain  of  clouds,"  or  of  rain,  for  the  inunda- 
tion is  plainly  stated  to  proceed  ft-om  the  sea,  not 
from  rain.  Nor  is  it  natural  to  admit  a  reference 
to  the  phj'sical  fact  that  the  waters  of  the  sea 
ascend  on  high  in  vapor  in  order  to  come  dowa 
again  as  rain.  Ver.  6,  therefore  is  not  to  be  re- 
garded as  an  allusion  to  the  Deluge,  but  rather  as 
a  marine  inundation,  such  as  often  occurs  in  con- 
sequence of  an  earthquake ;  e.  </.,  the  tidal  wav« 
in  Chili  in  1868. 

3.  Vers.  7-10.  Are  ye  not,  etc.  Degenerat* 
Israel  should  not  rely  upon  their  election ;  they 
are  to  be  carried  away.  IStill  God  in  his  grace  wiU 
not  destroy  them  wholly,  but  only  sift  them,  and 
even  the  carrying  away  is  to  serve  as  a  means  to 
this  end. 

Ver.  7.  This  is  the  sharpest  thing  that  can  be  said 
of  Israel,  namely,  to  liken  tliein  to  the  heathen. 
Tbp.  "  eonv  "  yf  tlio  Cusliitcs,  Haui's  posterity,  jira 


CHAPTER  IX. 


67 


as  highly  esteemed  as  the  "  sons  "  of  Israel.  And 
the  bringing  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt  avails  no  more 
than  the  bringing  of  the  Syrians  and  Philistines 
out  of  their  former  dwelling-places.  Caphtor,  prob- 
ably, =  Crete,  from  which,  according  to  this  state- 
ment, at  least  a  portion  of  the  Philistines  emigrated. 
( Others  say  ==  Kaslnhim. )  In  chap.  i.  ver.  5,  it  was 
said  that  the  Syrians  should  be  carried  away  to 
Kir.  According  to  the  present  passage,  a  portion 
of  them  must  have  emigrated  from  that  place. 

After  thus  rejecting  Israel's  claim  for  impunity, 
Amos  proceeds  in  ver.  8  to  announce  the  punish- 
ment once  more.  It  is  expressly  said  upon  whom 
it  shall  fall,  namely,  the  sinful  kingdom,  which  can 
be  none  other  than  the  ten  tribes,  who  are  thus  suf- 
ficiently indicated.  But  in  the  second  member  the 
threatening  is  mitigated  ;  there  still  remains  grace. 
The  distinction  between  Israel  and  the  heathen 
which  has  just  been  denied  —  denied  so  far  as  Is- 
rael made  it  a  matter  of  boasting,  —  is  again  set 
up.  The  preference,  however,  is  a  matter  not  of 
merit  but  of  grace,  and  exists  only  because  God 
will  not  wholly  abandon  his  own  people.  House 
of  Jacob  is  not  =  kingdom  of  Judah,  denoting 
that  this  should  be  spared  ;  for  then  it  would  not 
be  a  limitation  of  the  preceding  threatening  which 
was  aimed  at  Israel.  Literally  the  phrase  is  = 
stock  of  Israel ;  but  here,  according  to  the  proph- 
et's aim,  it  means  simply  the  ten  tribes,  just  as 
these  have  been  styled  in  the  previous  chapters, 
"  Israel,"  "  House  of  Israel."  The  prophet  does 
not  acknowledge  two  nations,  but  throughout  de- 
signedly holds  in  view  the  one  people,  Israel,  of 
which  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes  is  only  the 
particularly  corrupt  portion  ;  this  house  of  Jacob, 
whose  punishment  is  here  in  question,  shall  go 
forth  from  their  own  land,  but  shall  not  be  entirely 
destroyed.  This  latter  statement  does  not  conflict 
with  the  carrying  out  of  what  is  stated  in  vers.  1-4. 
For  that  only  denies  that  any  one  can  of  himself 
escape  the  threatened  destruction. 

How  we  are  to  understand  ver.  8  is  set  forth  in 
ver.  9  by  a  significant  figure.  By  its  dispersion  Is- 
rael comes,  as  it  were,  into  a  sieve,  in  which  the  good 
(;orn  and  the  dust  and  dirt  are  tossed  up  together. 
Yet  this  is  only  in  order  to  make  a  more  speedy 
separation.  The  solid  good  grains  remain,  only 
the  trash  falls  to  the  ground.     So  with  Israel. 

By  the  sword  (ver.  10),  shall  all  the  sinners  of  my 
people  die,  — but  only  these.  The  sinners  are  .still 
marked  as  self  secure,  by  the  addition,  who  say, 
the  evil  will  not  overtake,  etc.  To  the  thought 
expressed  in  ver.  10  we  must  assign  a  more  general 
scope,  standing  as  it  does  at  the  close  of  the  book, 
as  including  in  the  wide  sweep  of  the  judgment  a 
reference  to  Judah.  For  it  must  be  supposed  that 
the  prophet  sees  in  the  same  judgment  which  de- 
stroys Israel  the  execution  of  the  threatening  against 
Judah  in  chaj).  ii.  ver.  5,  only  that  Judah  is  not  vis- 
ited in  the  same  degree,  i.  e.,  one  which  destroys  its 
national  existence.  The  stroke  penetrates  deeply 
and  destroys  the  sinners,  but  at  the  same  time  puri- 
fies, and  thus  paves  the  way  immediately  for  Judah, 
and  so  for  Israel  in  general,  so  far  as  it  still  exists, 
to  a  new  prosperity  by  which  it  rises  again  into  a 
kingdom  as  poweiflil  and  happy  as  ever  before. 

4.  Vers.  11-15.  In  that  day  wUl  I,  etc.  In 
the  fact  that  the  destruction  is  not  to  be  absolutely 
.:Otal,  the  grace  of  God  shines  through  the  furious 
wrath  of  the  judgment.  But  the  grace  is  not  lim- 
ited to  this  negation  ;  it  advances  to  the  positive 
declaration  that  God  will  magnify  Israel  by  estab- 
lishing a  new  condition  of  prosperity.  This  exer- 
cise of  grace —  so  the  connection  of  the  thought 


proves  —  is  not  something  adventitious  but  is  di- 
rectly mediated  through  the  action  ofthe  judgment. 
This  judgment,  just  because  it  is  so  radical  in  its 
extirpatira  of  all  sinners  among  God's  people,  op- 
erates, as  before  remarked,  in  a  purifying  direction, 
and  its  limitation  contains  the  condition  of  a  new 
position,  a  new  salvation,  the  possibility  of  a  rich 
bestowment  of  grace.  For  with  the  removal  of  sin- 
ners, every  reason  for  the  divine  wrath  ceases,  and 
room  is  afforded  for  such  an  exhibition  of  grace  as 
will  restore  Israel  to  a  new  prosperity.  Very  nat- 
urally, therefore,  the  question  is  no  longer  about 
the  restoration  of  "  the  kingdom  of  Israel,"  in  the 
narrow  sense  of  that  term,  for  this  in  its  separa- 
tion from  Judah  represented  apostasy  from  Jeho- 
vah, and  a  constitution  exactly  opposed  to  the  true 
idea  of  a  people  of  God.  No,  the  divine  grace 
shows  itself  in  this,  that  after  the  destruction  of 
the  ungodly  elements,  first  and  chiefly  in  the  ten 
tribes,  but  also  in  Judah,  there  arises  a  single  but 
prosperous  and  powerful  kingdom  of  Israel  under 
the  legitimate  monarchy,  which  attracts  to  itself 
all  the  elements  spared  and  refined  by  the  judg- 
ment, including  those  which  belonged  to  the  exist- 
ing ten  tribes.  The  discourse  certainly  turns  in 
ver.  11  to  Judah,  yet  not  as  a  separate  kingdom, 
but  only  in  so  far  as  it  furnishes  the  divinely  ap- 
pointed basis  and  point  of  departure  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  entire  people.  More  than  that  Judah 
cannot  be,  since  it  is  not  only  outwardly  enfeebled 
and  proportionately  suffering,  but  also,  in  the  proph- 
et's view,  contains  many  sinful  elements  and  must 
expect  the  divine  chastisement,  through  which  it 
will  become  still  weaker  outwardly,  so  that  its  fu- 
ture exaltation  is  due  only  to  the  grace  of  God, 
who  cannot  let  his  covenant  with  Israel  fall,  cannot 
give  up  his  people.  This  enfeebled,  prostrate  con- 
dition of  Israel  — i.  e.,  at  first  Judah,  but  also  Is- 
rael because  Judah  alone  was  the  true  representa- 
tive of  Israel  —  is  expressed  in  ver.  II  by  the  fallen 
hut  of  David  =  the  David  ic  monarchy,  and  this, 
in  a  condition  of  real  prostration.  This  is  set  forth 
by  calling  it  not  a  palace  but  a  "  hut,"  and  this  hut 
a  "  fallen  "  one ;  and  the  picture  is  made  still  more 
vivid  by  the  mention  of  breaches  and  of  ruins. 
Many  expositors  (among  them  Keil)  think  that  the 
phrase,  the  fallen  hut  of  David,  presupposes  the  act- 
ual downfall  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  —  in  con- 
nection with  the  execution  of  the  threatening  in 
the  whole  chapter  against  Israel  and  Judah.  But 
apart  from  what  was  said  on  this  view  in  the  com- 
ments on  vers.  1,  the  phrase  itself  contradicts  it. 
I'or  in  the  do^vnfall,  not  only  a  hut,  but  the  house 
in  general  was  prostrated.  The  term  "  hut "  has 
its  appropriate  meaning  only  when  we  thisk  of 
something  not  wholly  fallen  but  still  existing,  for 
the  manner  of  this  existence  is  then  pointed  out 
by  the  word  "  hut,"  and  is  still  further  character 
ized  by  the  epithet  "  fallen,"  as  also  by  the  follow 
ing  expressions,  "  breaches,"  "  ruins."  The  res- 
toration of  captives  spoken  of  here,  can  therefore 
be  no  proof  of  the  assumption  that  the  downfall  of 
Judah  and  the  Babylonish  exile  is  presupposed  in 
ver.  1 1 .  For  while  a  carrying  away  is  certainly 
mentioned,  it  is  from  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and 
the  return  is  included  in  this  promise,  although  in 
the  first  instance  it  refers  to  Judah ;  since  the 
thought  is  that  along  with  the  renovation  of  Judah, 
as  the  one  genuine  kingdom  of  Israel,  there  is  bound 
up  the  return  of  all  the  Israelites  held  captive  in 
heathen  lands,  as  a  constituent  of  that  future  pros- 
perity. But,  besides,  there  were,  independent  of 
the  exile  in  Babylon,  captives  out  of  the  kingdom 
of  Judah,  who  had  been   dragged   away   by  th« 


58 


AMOS. 


heathen,  as  we  have  already  seen  in  Joel ;  and  the 
prophet  might  therefore  well  suppose  that  there 
would  be  more,  before  the  new  period  of  salvation. 
It  is  not  to  the  purpose  that  in  the  later  prophets 
the  promise  of  future  salvation  for  Israel,  including 
Judah,  presupposes  the  foreseen  destruction  of  the 
kingdom  of  Judah.  For  it  is  preposterous. from  this 
to  infer  that  all  had  the  same  general  view,  without 
regard  to  the  differences  of  time.  Surely  we  cannot 
without  ceremony  transfer  to  the  earher  prophets 
what  belongs  well  enough  to  the  later.  —  This  fallen 
hut  is  to  be  raised  up  again,  and  that  in  such  a  way 
that  the  breaches  shall  be  walled  up  and  the  pros- 
trate ruins  restored.  This  then  is  a  building  of  the 
hut,  and  the  result  is  that  it  becomes  what  it  was 
in  ancient  times  =  in  the  days  of  David  himself. 
This  restoration  of  the  former  power  and  greatness 
is  then  expanded  in  ver.  13,  where  the  term  pos- 
sess is  an  allusion  to  Balaam's  prophecy,  "  And 
Edom  shall  be  a  possession,  Seir  also  shall  be  a 
possession."  The  acquisition  shall  be  easily  made, 
being  Jehovah's  gift  to  his  people.  The  remnant 
of  Edom  =  what  has  not  already  been  subjugated 
again.  Edom  is  particularly  mentioned,  because 
while  they  were  related  to  the  Israelites,  they  were 
of  all  nations  the  most  hostile  to  them.    To  receive 

fossession  of  them  is  therefore  a  peculiar  token  of 
srael's  glory.  But  Israel  is  to  gain  more,  even  all 
the  nations  upon  whom  my  name  is  called. 
This  phrase  manifestly  refers  in  the  first  instance 
to  the  nations  who  by  David  were  brought  under 
the  sway  of  God's  people  and  therefore  were  called 
by  Jehovah's  name.  Still  the  question  recurs  why 
the  dependence  on  Israel  was  expressed  in  just  this 
peculiar  manner.  It  was  to  indicate  a  peculiar  re- 
lation of  these  nations  to  Jehovah  which  was  the 
reason  of  their  subjugation.  This  indeed  existed 
under  David,  but  was  not  then  fully  realized.  What 
then  lay  in  intention  and  was  contemplated  in  their 
conquest,  actually  occurs  in  the  new  and  better 
time  here  brought  into  view.  The  nations  shall  so 
come  under  Israel's  rule  that  they  will  bear  the 
name  of  Israel's  God,  and  be  called  his  people,  so 
that  a  conversion  of  the  heathen  —  not  of  all,  for 
the  prophecy  does  not  touch  that  point  —  but  of 
heathen  nations,  is  placed  in  prospect  or  at  least 
intimated.  (Upon  the  quotation  in  Acts  xv.  16, 
and  also  the  meaning  of  the  promise  in  vers.  11, 
1 2,  see  Doctrinal  and  Moral.)  But  to  the  future 
prosperity  of  Israel  belongs  not  only  national 
power  and  greatness,  but  also  a  rich  blessing  upon 
the  land  and  thus  upon  the  people  (ver.  13),  in  ful- 
fillment of  the  promise  in  Levit.  xxvi.  5,  What  is 
there  said  of  the  action  —  the  threshing  shall  reach 
unto  the  vintage,  —is  here  transferred  to  the  person 
who  performs  it.  The  ploughman  reaches  to 
the  reaper,  i.  e.,  the  ploughing  will  still  continue 
in  one  place,  although  the  reaping  has  begun  in 
another,  which  however  does  not  mean  that  the 
crop  will  grow  and  mature  so  quickly,  but  that  so 
much  is  there  to  plough  that  it  lasts  to  the  harvest. 
This,  at  all  events,  is  the  meaning  of  the  next 
clause,  —  The  treader  of  grapes  (will  reach)  to 
the  sower  of  seed  =  the  vintage  will  last  to  the 
sowing  time,  so  abundant  is  it.  The  mountains 
drop  new  wine,  etc.  Of.  Joel  iii.  18.  There  the 
hills  are  said  to  flow  with  milk,  here  the  expression 
is  stronger,  —  the  hills  melt,  as  it  were,  dissolve 
ihemselves  in  pure  streams  of  milk,  new  wine, 
honey. 

Ver.  14.  I  bring  back  the  captives,  etc.  This 
s  another  essential  feature  in  the  picture  of  Israel's 
future.  For  when  the  period  of  judgment  has 
•Kce  elapsed,  and  God  in  his  grace  brings  his  people 


to  a  new  prosperity,  its  members  cannot  longe! 
continue  under  the  power  of  the  heathen,  for  that 
would  be  an  evidence  that  the  state  of  punishment 
still  continued.  As  to  "  the  captives "  thus  re- 
stored, see  above  on  ver.  11.  The  phrase,  they 
build  the  waste  cities,  etc.,  clearly  depicts  the  re- 
viving activity  of  those  who  have  been  restored 
from  exile  to  their  desolated  land,  and  the  words 
in  ver.  15,  they  shall  no  more  be  torn  up,  etc., 
distinctly  express  the  final  abolition  of  an  exile. 
As  God's  direct  judgments,  drought,  and  barren- 
ness, are  to  cease,  so  also  shall  the  indirect,  name- 
ly, desolation  by  a  foe.  Therefore  they  shall  not 
merely  build  cities  but  inhabit  them;  not  only 
plant  vineyards,  but  also  drink  the  wine  (the  direct 
reverse  of  chap.  v.  ver.  11);  not  only  lay  out  gar- 
dens, but  eat  their  fruit !  And  (ver.  15)  especially 
shall  the  restored  exiles  never  again  be  carried 
away  by  enemies.  This,  in  immediate  connection 
with  what  has  just  been  said  of  the  plantings  which 
Israel  is  to  make,  is  represented  under  the  figure 
of  a  planting  which  shall  never  be  torn  up  ;  at  the 
same  time  with  a  reference  to  the  firm  "  planting  " 
formerly  made  by  means  of  David,  in  2  Sam.  vii. 
10.  The  higher  fulfillment  of  this  will  occur  only 
when  David's  fallen  hut  is  again  raised  up. 


DOCTRINAL  AND   MORAL. 

1.  The  prophet  paints  in  a  frightful  manner  tho 
vast  power  of  the  divine  judgments  and  man's 
helplessness  before  them.  God's  omnipresence  and 
omnipotence  subserve  his  wrath  ;  hence  its  energy. 
Nowhere  can  man  escape  Him  ;  by  no  means  can 
he  protect  himself;  all  places  are  accessible  to  God  ; 
all  powers  stand  subject  to  his  will.  The  judgment 
here  primarily  intended  is  one  that  is  executed  by 
a  conquering  foe.  Now  whence  comes  the  crushing 
weight  of  so  many  conquerors,  whom  nothing  can 
resist,  before  whom  all  means  prove  impotent  ?  We 
do  not  understand  how  it  is  possible.  Here  we  have 
the  answer,  here  where  we,  as  it  were,  glance  behind 
the  scenes.  The  conqueror  is  only  the  instrument 
of  God's  wrath  ;  but  this  is  so  mighty,  so  irresist- 
ible, that  it  is  no  wonder  that  nothing  can  withstand 
the  victorious  foe,  that  eveiy  resource  fails,  even 
though  it  may  have  a  hundred  times  in  other  cases 
brought  relief  and  defense.  If  the  Lord  will  not, 
all  is  of  no  avail. 

2.  But  when  the  judgment  is  one  thus  executed 
by  a  foreign  conqueror,  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that 
the  description,  as  indeed  often  in  the  former  chap- 
ters, so  especially  here,  transcends  what  usually 
occurs  in  case  of  a  hostile  invasion  and  conquest. 
It  has,  so  to  speak,  an  eschatological  coloring.  Tho 
threatened  punishment  is  a  total,  final,  decisive  de- 
struction of  sinners.  The  prophet  knows  of  none 
that  goes  beyond  it.  The  only  counterpart  to  it  is 
a  glorious  act  of  grace.  As  surely  as  the  latter  is 
something  definite  and  conclusive,  so  is  the  former. 
If  we  inquire  as  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  threaten- 
ing, confessedly  one  such  took  place  for  Israel  in 
the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom.  But  a  complete 
and  exact  fulfillment  is  not  to  be  found  in  that 
event ;  an  unprejudiced  comparison  shows  that  the 
prophecy  transcends  the  experience.  This  fact  doet 
not  show  that  the  threatening  is  unfounded,  but 
that  it  has  an  eschatological  character.  The  proph- 
et, indeed,  sees  the  last  decisive  judgment  arise,  the 
day  of  the  Lord  (although  there  is  no  express  ref- 
erence to  that  here),  but  still  the  judgment  which 
came  historically  upon  the  ten  tribes  was  not  thii 
last  decisive  one.    What  he  threatens  against  I* 


CHAPTER  IX. 


59 


rael  was,  we  venture  to  say,  farther  fulfilled  in  the 
last  judgment  upon  Israel,  when  Jerusalem  was 
destroyed  by  the  Komans  ;  but  this  still  awaits  its 
complete  fulfillment  in  the  last  judgment  at  the 
Parousia  upon  the  entke  body  of  the  apostate  mem- 
bers of  God's  people,  of  whom  Israel  was  a  type. 
In  this  judgment  the  punitive  righteousness  of  God 
will  be  fully  revealed  in  its  frightful  universality. 
Tie  threatenings,  as  well  as  the  promises  of  proph- 
ecy, find  their  complete  fulfillment  first  in  the  New 
Testament,  yet  not  in  the  literal  Israel,  but  in  the 
people  of  God  represented  by  Israel  in  so  far  as  it 
is  apostate.  It  is  not  unimportant  to  make  this 
clear,  in  order  to  show  the  incorrectness  of  the  pop- 
alar  argument,  that  because  all  the  threatenings 
have  been  fulfilled  in  the  literal  Israel,  therefore  the 
promises  must  be  so  likewise ;  that  the  latter  are 
to  be  taken  just  as  strictly  as  the  former,  and  hence 
the  fulfillment  of  such  of  them  as  have  not  yet 
come  to  pass,  is  to  be  expected  iu  Israel  after  the 
flesh. 

3.  But  the  divine  judgment  is  not  a  work  of  ab- 
solute annihilation  but  of  sifting,  to  separate  the 
wheat  from  the  chaff".  Herein  is  revealed  the  es- 
chatological  character  of  these  judgments,  in  that 
they  are  so  strictly  just;  but  since  the  separation 
of  the  wheat  and  the  chaff"  is  only  relative,  the 
sparing  of  those  who  are  spared  must  be  deemed 
an  act  of  grace,  and  so  much  the  more,  since  the 
sparing  does  not  stand  alone  and  simple,  but  the 
judgment  upon  the  ungodly  is  itself  a  purifying 
work  for"  the  righteous,"  and  cannot  remain  with- 
out a  wholesome  influence  upon  them ;  while  on 
the  other  hand  it  is  for  them  a  deliverance,  the 
dawn  of  a  new  prosperity  which  is  possible  only 
after  the  consummated  excision  of  the  destructive 
elements  which  provoke  the  wrath  of  God.  What 
Amos  calls  "  the  little  grain  "  in  the  sieve  is  sub- 
stantially that  which  afterwards  appears  as  the 
"remnant  of  Jacob."  But  still  the  question  with 
Amos  was  not  about  a  still  surviving  remnant  of 
the  people  in  general  when  he  now  sees  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  fall,  nor  was  it  whether  the  whole 
people  of  God  should  or  could  go  down  or  not. 
Hence  the  terra  "  remnant "  would  ill  apply  to  those 
whom  he  sees  to  be  spared. 

4.  Israel's  provocation  of  the  divine  wrath  in 
general  lay  in  the  ungodly  course  it  took  at  the 
founding  of  the  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes  and  ever 
afterwards  persevered  in.  After  the  destruction  of 
this  kingdom,  and  after  the  judgment  which  is  to 
fall  upon  Judah,  although  this  kingdom  is  not  to 
be  destroyed,  there  no  longer  remains  any  hin- 
drance to  the  blooming  of  a  new  prosperity  for  Is- 
rael as  a  whole.  Therefore  the  prophet,  since  it 
was  his  commission  to  announce  the  judgment  of 
God  upon  all  tlie  ungodly,  but  especially  upon  the 
ungodly  kingdom  of  the  ten  tribes,  concludes,  after 
this  commission  has  been  fulfilled,  with  a  promise 
for  Israel  as  the  people  of  God.  Under  the  only 
legitimate  monarchy,  the  house  of  David,  it  is  by 
God's  blessing  raised  out  of  its  humiliation ;  its 
power  and  greatness  are  restored  as  they  were  in 
David's  time  ;  the  kingdom  spreads  out  over  the 
heathen  ;  the  land  rejoices  in  the  richest  blessings ; 
all  captive  exiles  return,  —  never  again  to  be  carried 
away  ;  and  the  kingdom  has  the  prospect  of  being 
established  forever.  It  is  very  perverse  to  ask  if  an 
internal  renovation  is  not  also  expressed  in  this 
exaltation.  What  is  said  in  ver.  11,  etc.,  concern- 
ing deliverance  and  restoration,  refers  only  to  the 
oatward  prosperity  of  Israel,  not  to  its  internal 
character  j  but  certainly  an  inward  renewing  is 
presupposed,  for  the  destruction  of  all  sinners  is. 


as  ver.  10  shows,  the  only  way  to  the  promised 
outward  restitution,  its  conditio  sine  qua  no'n.  Sub- 
jectively it  is  its  ground  and  root,  while  objectively 
all  results  from  the  grace  of  God,  who  has  intended 
prosperity  and  salvation  for  Lsrael  as  his  people, 
and  who  therefore  in  all  his  judgments  upon  Israel 
aims  at  last  at  a  new  and  so  much  the  higher  bless- 
ing, and  the  establishmeni  of  a  complete  state  of 
prosperity.  The  flourishing  Israel  therefore  is  nat- 
urally to  be  considered  as  a  people  serving  God 
and  converted  to  Him,  even  though  nothing  has 
been  expressly  said  on  the  point.  Or  they  are  con- 
sidered as  his  members,  consisting  partly  of  those 
who  remained  faithful,  partly  of  such  as  have  been 
converted.  The  emphasis  with  which  an  annihilat- 
ing judgment  is  beforehand  pronounced  upon  un- 
godliness, leaves  room  for  no  other  view.  Such 
a  divine  blessing  as  is  here  promised,  and  especially 
its  permanence,  presupposes  a  godly  life.  Although 
Amos  says  nothing  of  a  personal"  Messiah,  yet  iu 
the  wide  sense  we  must  call  this  prophecy  5Ic5si- 
anic,  in  substance  if  not  in  form,  in  so  far  as  the 
Messi.ah  of  the  later  prophets  is  He  who  introduces 
the  consummation  of  the  people  of  God,  and  the 
great  time  of  its  happiness,  and  it  is  just  this  final 
completeness  and  glory  wliich  is  here  promised. 

5.  As  to  the  fuljillment  of  the  prophecy,  it  must 
be  said,  just  as  in  the  case  of  Joel,  that  this  has  not 
taken  place  exactly  according  to  the  letter,  for  that 
represents  the  new  greatness  and  never-ending  pros- 
perity of  the  kingdom  of  Judah  and  Israel  as  coin- 
cident with  the  judgment  upon  the  ten  tribes.  But 
although  this  latter  event  was  followed  by  happier 
times  for  Judah,  still  this  was  not  what  is  prom- 
ised here,  but  in  place  of  a  flo:iri -^ing  exaltation  of 
the  Davidic  line  there  followed  its  complete  pros- 
tration along  with  the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom. 
But  this,  as  we  said  above,  the  prophet  does  not 
take  into  the  account.  JTor  this  reason,  the  fair 
prospect  of  Israel's  future  glory  lias  maintained  and 
still  maintains  its  truth  and  validity.  ?»«  it  is  not  a 
product  of  human  wish  and  hope,  but  ilows  from 
a  revelation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  rests  upon  a 
view  furnished  by  that  Spirit.  Nor  do  we  deceive 
ourselves  when  we  assume  that  the  later  prophets, 
who  also  foresaw  and  announced  the  downfall  of 
Judah,  found  a  basis  for  their  promises  in  the 
promise  of  Joel  and  also  iu  that  of  Amos  which 
is  so  closely  connected  with  it.  For  if  such  a  no- 
ble future  was  predicted,  the  downfall  of  the  king- 
dom could  not  be  final,  rather,  not  only  would  a 
remnant  be  saved,  but  there  would  be  a  lifting  up 
out  of  this  deep  fall,  a  restitution  after  the  over- 
throw. Israel,  as  the  people  of  God  by  virtue  of 
God's  covenant  with  them,  may  and  indeed  must 
suffer  his  judgments  in  case  of  apostasy,  but  so  far 
from  perishing  by  these,  rather  attains  a  condition 
of  greatness  and  power,  an  enduring  prosperity ; 
this  is  the  truth  forever  established  and  fortified  by 
our  promise.  A  certain  fulfillment  was  no  doubt 
experienced  in  the  restoration  accomplished  by  the 
Jews  who  returned  from  exile.  But  this  was  by  no 
means  ''  the  Messianic  salvutiou,"  the  cousuiumar 
tion  of  God's  kingdom  in  Israel.  Nor  can  a  literal 
fulfillment  of  Amos's  prophesy  be  sought  herein, 
because  our  prophet  does  not  takj  into  ajcuuut  tho 
facts  which  gave  occasion  for  that  return,  namely, 
the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom  and  the  exiic.  The 
Messiah  came  in  the  person  of  Jesns  Christ.  Did 
then  the  promised  great  salvation  come  ?  Did  He 
fulfill  our  promise  ?  Not  according  to  the  letter, 
since  by  no  means  did  a  time  of  new  grandeur 
break  in  upon  Israel  after  the  flesh ;  but  in  place 
of  expecting  any  such  thing  in  the  future  and  seek- 


60 


AMOS. 


ing  there  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  we  rather 
affirm  that  it  has  already  begun  with  Christ's  com- 
ing. For  as,  according  to  a  principle  before  laid 
down,  we  have  the  true  complement  of  the  Old 
Testament  in  the  New,  so  we  see  in  Christ's  salva- 
tion the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  of  a  time  of 
glory  for  Israel,  since  Israel  (with  Canaan)  was 
only  a  type  of  the  tme  people  of  God.  What 
therefore  was  promised  to  Israel  passes  over  by 
\irtue  of  the  new  covenant  to  all  who  belong  to 
Israel  throujih  faith  in  Christ  an<l  form  the  people 
of  God.  And  we  are  not  at  all  to  expect  a  literal 
fulfillment  of  these  engagements  to  a  national  Is- 
lael,  and  in  the  shape  of  temporal  blessings  on  the 
stand-point  of  the  Old  Testament.  For,  if  we  did, 
it  would  follow  that  there  must  be  a  literal  posses- 
sion of  the  "  remnant  of  Edom."  But  the  boldest 
realist  will  hardly  conclude  that  in  the  future  Edom 
will  again  exist  alongside  of  Israel.  We  may  here 
appropriate  in  substance  the  observations  of  Keil, 
who  says  that  "  the  raising  up  of  David's  fallen 
hut  commenced  with  the  coming  of  Chi-ist  and  the 
founding  of  the  Christian  Church  by  the  Apostles 
—  (as  to  which  we  refer,  e.  g.,  only  to  Luke  i.  32, 
33,  where  Jesus  is  represented  as  the  restorer  of 
David's  throne,  and  one  whose  kingdom  shall  have 
no  end),  —  and  the  possession  of  Edom  and  of  all 
the  other  nations  upon  whom  the  Lord  reveals  his 
name,  took  its  rise  in  the  reception  of  the  Gentiles 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  set  up  by  Christ.  .  . 
The  land  which  will  flow  with  streams  of  divine 
blessing  is  not  Palestine,  but  the  domain  of  the 
Christian  Church,  or  the  earth,  so  far  as  it  has  re- 
ceived the  blessings  of  Christianity.  The  people 
which  cultivate  this  land  is  the  Christian  Church, 
so  far  as  it  stands  in  living  faith  and  ])roduces  the 
Iruits  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  And  —  we  may  add  — 
60  far  as  the  Jews  are  converted  to  Christ  and  in- 
corporated into  the  Christian  community,  there  is 
"  a  bringing  back  of  the  captives."  Still  this 
"  bringing  back  "  is  not  limited  to  Israel  after  the 
flesh.  Its  fulfillment  is  to  be  sought  more  gener- 
ally in  the  freedom  which  Christ  has  brought,  in 
consequence  of  which  believers  in  Him  are  no 
longer  prisoners  under  the  control  of  an  alien 
power.  They  possess  "  the  glorious  liberty  of  the 
children  of  Gotl,"  through  their  enjoyment  of  com- 
munion with  God,  — incomplete,  indeed,  in  the  hrst 
instance,  just  as  the  return  IVom  exile  is  not  com- 
plete. But  it  will  be  through  Christ.  He  will  one 
day  conduct  all  the  (genuine)  members  of  God's 
people  out  of  exile  and  bondage  into  the  heavenly 
Canaan,  and  no  one  shall  ever  again  drive  them 
out.  But  certainl}'  this  promise  for  the  people  of 
God  first  began  to  be  tiilMlkd  at  the  appearing  of 
the  Mes.«iah  and  in  the  domain  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Its  complete  fulfillment  is  to  be  expected 
•it  the  pa'-oiisiu  of  Christ ;  :ind  then  the  spiritual 
olessipg,  the  sj>iritual  power  and  greatness,  the 
spiritual  freedom  which  the  j)eo[)le  of  God  now  en- 
joy, will  obtain  a  corres])0iiding  outward  sensible 
manifestation.  Inward  prosperity  will  not  lack 
thaf  ivliich  is  outward,  yet  in  a  higher  sense  than 
the  Old  Covenant  understood  it,  since  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  outward  and  the  inward  will  in 
the  main  be.  done  away.  The  hope  of  this  final 
glory  of  the  people  of  God  has  a  right  to  nourish 
Itself  constantly  from  the  prophecies  which  give 
Buch  bright  pictures  of  the  future  glory  of  Isratl. 
So  far  these  prophecies  preserve  constantly  their 
Bignilicmce  for  ihe  religious  life.  By  their  confi- 
dent and  assured  tone  they  greatly  oppose  and  un- 
dermine the,  doubts  awakened  by  the  day  of  small 
thing;;  in  v-hich  we  live. 


6.  The  opinion  that  our  promise  is  fulfilled  it 
Christ  is  confirmed  in  the  New  Testament  (Acta 
xii.  15)  by  the  Apostle  James.  He  sees  a  fulfill- 
ment of  the  words  of  Amos  (ver.  12)  concerning 
the  relation  of  the  nations  =  the  heathen,  to  the 
restored  Israel,  in  Peter's  statement  of  the  efFecti 
of  faith  in  Christ  among  the  heathen,  sin<"e  these 
without  being  circumcised  had  received  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  thus  probably  understands  the  phrase, 
"  upon  whom  my  name  is  called,"  in  a  pregnant 
sense  =  upon  whom  God  has  testified  Himself  as 
God,  therefore  as  a  promise  of  an  inward  relation 
of  God  to  the  heathen,  but  at  bottom  a  promise  of 
the  bestowment  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  them. 
Therefore  he  regards  the  advices  of  Peter  as  a  ful- 
fillment of  the  prophetic  utterance.  This  explana- 
tion does  not  conform  to  the  original  seii'^e  of  the 
prophet's  words  (see  above  in  Critical  and  Exeget- 
ical),  just  as  the  words  immediutely  preceding  are 
given  by  James  in  a  form  quite  ditt'erent  from  the 
Hebrew.  For  us  the  only  important  point  is  that 
James  considers  the  fulfillment  of  this  |iromise  as 
beginning  with  Christ.  But  we  may  draw  a  far- 
ther conclusion.  If  James  sees  this  staicuicnt  of 
Amos  concerning  the  heathen  and  their  relation  to 
Israel  fulfilled  in  the  appearance  of  Christ,  in  so 
far  as  that  caused  the  reception  of  the  S|)irit  by 
believers  in  Him,  then  certainly  he  regards  the 
promise  of  the  restoration  of  David's  fallen  hut  as 
fulfilled  in  Christ.  Although  the  promise,  literally 
understood,  treats  of  an  outward  restoration,  a  re- 
turn of  outward  greatness  to  Israel  as  a  kingdom, 
yet  the  tenor  of  the  discourse  is  wholly  different ; 
James  therefore,  since  he  saw  its  fulfillment  then 
occurring,  could  not  possibly  have  cherished  any 
dreams  of  an  outward  glorification  of  the  kingdom 
of  Israel  to  be  expected  in  the  future  on  the  ground 
of  the  prophetic  utterances.  The  only  correct 
view  is,  that  to  him  the  people  of  (loii  appeared  in 
the  closest  union  with  the  national  Israel,  and  ho 
saw  Christ  and  his  salvation  as  obtained  in  the 
first  instance  tor  the  latter.  The  national  Israel 
to  him  always  stood  in  the  foreground.  But  he 
saw  the  promises  to  the  nation  fulfilled  in  the 
spiritual  blessings  which  proceeded  from  Christ. 
But  it  was  inconsistent  to  take  the  prophet's  prom- 
ises literally  in  respect  to  "  Israel,"  i.  e.,  to  claim 
them  for  the  national  Israel,  and  yet  not  to  take 
them  literally  in  respect  to  their  meaning,  not  to 
understand  them  as  holding  out  an  earthly  great- 
ness, a  national  blessing ;  and  hence  both  Peter 
and  Paul  went  fsir  beyond  this  view.  But  it  is  re- 
markable that  James,  who  was  so  pronounced  a 
representative  of  the  Judaistic  tendency,  should 
regard  such  a  promise  as  we  have  in  Amos,  as  ful- 
filleil,  so  far  as  regards  its  meaning,  in  the  appear- 
ance of  Christ  and  the  spiritual  blessings  thence 
resulting,  without  even  once  referring  it  to  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  the  Saviour.  Even  he  therefore  is 
a  patron  of  the  so-called  .'•piritual  interpretation 
of  the  prophecies  ;  and  if  the  theological  explana- 
tion here  rinds  itself  in  agreement  with  a  disciple 
of  the  Lord,  and  him  a  man  of  strong  Jewish-Chris- 
tian feeling,  that  is  a  proof  tiiat  it  is  on  the  right 
track,  and  has  so  much  the  more  reason  for  dis- 
owning the  doctrine  of  a  future  glorification  of  the 
national  Israel  as  guaranteed  by  the  prophets. 

7.  In  relation  to  the  promises  ol  piophecy,  wa 
may  make  the  same  remark  as  before  in  relation 
to  prophetical  threatcnings  in  chap,  vii.,  sec.  6,  of 
Doctrinal  and  Moral.  As  the  jiropliet  is  not  the 
mere  instrument  of  revelation  without  will  of  hit 
own,  we  must,  while  fully  ackno'ivle<lging  the  objeo 
tive  ground  of  these  promises,  at  the  same  time 


CHAPTER  IX. 


c>\ 


regard  them  as  evidences  of  the  prophet's  own 
strength  of  faith.  While  he  at  first  on  account  of 
the  prevailing  sinfulness  sees  only  punishment  and 
downfall,  a  speedy  outbreak  of  divine  wrath,  yet  at 
the  same  time  he  holds  firm  as  a  rock  the  hope  that 
the  grace  of  God  will  return  and  a  new  salvation 
begin  for  the  people  of  God.  The  divine  promises 
made  to  Israel  as  the  people  of  God  are  an  anchor 
of  his  faith  and  a  light  to  illumine  the  gloomy  fu- 
ture before  him,  so  that  the  final  aim  of  the  pro- 
cedure remains  to  him  immovably  noble.  If  it  is 
the  old  promises  upon  which  his  faith  rests,  these 
are  reanimated  and  freshly  confirmed  by  the  new 
revelations  he  receives.  But  this  occurs  only  when 
they  are  firmly  believed,  and  therefore  the  utter- 
ance of  them  is  an  evidence  of  strength  of  faith. 


HOMTLETICAL  AND    PRACTICAL. 

Ver.  1.  Smite  the  top,  etc.  The  judgments  of 
1"rod  when  they  begin  are  like  mighty  blows,  which 
make  everything  tremble,  if  they  do  not  altogether 
dash  to  pieces.  Apostasy  from  God  (idolatry)  is 
that  which  decides  the  case,  and  at  last  makes  the 
divine  judgments  break  forth. 

Vers.  2,  3.  That  which  is  our  greatest  confi- 
dence when  God  is  on  our  side,  namely,  that  He  is 
everj'where  present,  is  our  terror  when  He  is  agaiust 
ns.  [The  prophet  has  not  employed  a  superfluous 
heap  of  words.  Every  syllable  is  important,  even 
though  at  first  it  may  seem  otherwise.  The  Holy 
Spirit  designs  to  shake  off  our  self-flatteries  and 
rouse  our  innate  torpor,  that  we  may  not  think  of 
God  as  of  ourselves,  but  know  that  his  power  ex- 
tends to  all  hiding-places.  —  Calvin. 

Ver.  4.  And  I  set  mine  eye,  etc.  The  eye  of  God 
upon  us  is  our  whole  hope  and  stay  and  life.  It  is 
ou  the  confessor  in  prison,  the  martyr  on  the  rack, 
the  poor  in  their  suflferings,  the  raounier  in  the 
chamber  of  death,  for  good.  What  if  that  eye,  the 
source  of  all  good,  rests  on  his  creature  only  for 
evil  ■? —  Pusey.] 

Vers.  5,  6.  God's  omniscience  and  omnipres- 
ence gain  their  whole  significance  from  his  omnip- 
otence. But  He  is  as  certainly  almighty  as  He  is 
allwise  and  everywhere  present.  He  commands 
the  earth  when  and  as  He  mil,  and  it  must  obey 
Him.  If  He  only  touch  it,  it  trembles.  But  no 
wonder  that  the  earth  obeys  Him,  for  it  is  He  who 
rules  also  the  heaven.  [This  is  the  hope  of  ais 
servants,  the  hopelessness  of  his  enemies.  —  Pu- 
sey.] 

Ver.  7.  Are  ye  not  as  the  sons  of  the  Cushites,  etc. 
Woe  to  him  who  considers  what  God  through 
grace  has  made  of  him,  as  his  own  merit,  and 
therefore  boasts !  God  will  be  ashamed  of  him, 
and  humble  him  under  those  over  whom  he  exalts 
bira?elf 

Ver.  8.  The  eyes  of  the  Lord,  etc.  Nothing  es- 
capes the  eyes  of  God  ;  even  though  the  contrary 
may  often  seem  to  be  the  case,  yet  in  the  end  it  is 
proven  that  He  has  seen  all,  and  in  his  own  time 
administers  chastisement.  Whole  kingdoms  as 
well  as  individuals  are  objects  of  God's  attention 
for  joy  or  for  sorrow.  Why  does  m.any  a  kingdom 
meet  a  frightful  end  ?  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  were 
upon  it  and  upon  its  sins,  and  though  men  were 
not  conscious  of  it.  finally  the  fact  became  mani- 
fest. 

Vers.  8,  9.  I  ivill  not  utterly  destroy,  etc.  That 
we  do  not  utterly  peiish  is  due  only  to  the  good- 
ness of  God,  which  has  no  end  Who  has  reason 
Ic  fea*"  the  d-vine  judgments  ?    Xot  those  who  are 


like  wheat,  but  those  who  resemble  chaflF.  Hence 
the  grave  question  to  each  one ;  whom  do  you 
resemble?  Although  it  often  seems  as  if  even  the 
wheat  fell  to  the  ground,  yet  in  the  end  it  is  shown 
to  be  otherwise.  Much  seems  to  be  wheat,  and  \i 
not.  In  the  sifting  power  of  God's  judgments  lieaf 
their  chief  significance. 

Ver.  10.  Who  say,  The  evil  shall  not,  etc  [In 
both  destructions  of  Jei'usalem,  the  people  perished! 
the  more  miserably  being  buoyed  up  by  the  falsa 
confidence  that  they  should  not  perish.  So  too  now, 
none  are  so  likely  to  perish  forever  as  they  who  say 
The  evil  shall  not  overtake  us.  "  I  will  repeni 
hereafter."  "  There  is  time  enough  yet."  "  God 
will  forgive  the  errors  of  youth,  the  heat  of  pas- 
sion." "  God  is  merciful."  Thus  Satan  deludes 
thousands  upon  thousands  to  their  destruction.  — 
Pusey. 

Ver.  11.  As  the  prophet  here  declares  that  a  re- 
deemer would  come  and  renew  the  whole  state  of 
the  kingdom,  wc  see  that  the  faith  of  the  I'aiherii 
was  ever  fixed  on  Christ ;  for  in  the  whole  world 
it  is  He  alone  who  has  reconciled  us  to  God.  Nor 
could  the  fallen  Church  have  been  restored  other- 
wise than  under  one  head.  If  then  at  this  day  wa 
lesire  to  raise  up  our  minds  to  God,  Christ  must 
immedi.ately  become  a  mediator  between  ns;  for 
when  He  is  taken  away,  despair  will  overwhelm 
us.  Our  confidence  will  come  to  nothing  unless  it 
be  founded  on  Christ  alone.  —  Calvin.  The  fallen 
hut.  Strange  comment  on  human  greatness,  that 
the  royal  line  was  not  to  be  employed  in  the  salva- 
tion of  the  world  until  it  was  fallen  !  The  royal 
palace  had  to  become  the  hut  of  Nazareth,  ere  tho 
Redeemer  of  the  world  could  be  born,  whose  glory 
and  kingdom  were  not  of  this  world,  who  came  to 
take  from  us  nothing  but  our  nature  that  He  might 
sanctify  it,  our  misery  that  He  might  bear  it  for  us. 
Yet  flesh  and  blood  could  not  foresee  it  ere  it  came, 
as  flesh  and  blood  could  not  believe  it  when  He 
came.  —  Pusey. 

Ver.  12.  That  they  may  possess,  etc.  No  gifts  of 
God  end  in  the  immediate  object  of  his  bounty  and 
love.  Israel  was  rcftored  in  order  that  they,  the 
first  objects  of  God's  mercies,  might  win  others  to 
God,  not  Edom  only,  but  all  nations  upon  ■whom 
his  name  is  called.  — Pusey. 

Ver.  13.  The  mountains  and  hills  of  Judsea, 
with  their  terraced  sides  clad  with  the  vine,  were  a 
natural  symbol  of  fruitfulness  to  the  Jews;  hw* 
they  themselves  could  not  think  that  natural  fruit 
fulness  was  meant  under  this  imagery.  It  would 
have  been  a  hyperbole  as  to  things  of  nature,  but 
what  in  natural  things  is  a  hyperbole,  is  but  a  faint 
shadow  of  the  joys  and  delights  and  glad  fruitful- 
ness of  grace.  —  Id. 

Ver.  14.  And  they  build  cities,  etc.  This  needs 
no  exposition,  since  throughout  the  world,  amid 
the  desert  of  Heathendom,  which  was  before  de- 
serted by  God,  churches  of  Christ  have  arisen 
which  for  firmness  of  faith  may  be  called  cities,  and 
for  gladness  of  hope,  vineyards,  and  for  sweetness 
of  charity,  gardens  ;  wherein  they  dwell  who  have 
builded  them  through  the  Word,  whence  they 
drink  the  wine  of  gladness  who  formed  them  by 
precepts,  whence  they  eat  fruits  who  advanced 
tliein  by  counsels.  —  Rupertus- 

Ver."  1 5.  It  is  a  promise  of  perpetuity  like  th:H 
of  our  Lord,  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  etc.  As 
Jerome  says,  the  Church  may  be  shaken  by  perse- 
cutions, she  cannot  be  uprooted ;  she  may  bo 
tempted,  she  cannot  be  overcome.  For  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  hath  promised  that  He  will  do  it, 
whose  promise  is  the  law  to  nature. —  Pnse3'.J 


C2 


AMOS 


Often  in  our  time  the  Church  of  Christ  seems  like 
to  David's  fallen  hut,  but  only  when  we  look  at  its 
outward  condition  and  the  many  who  shun  it;  so 
far  as  regards  the  power  which  goes  out  from 
Christ  and  the  blessing  which  He  procures,  it  is 
not  a  fallen  but  a  restored  hut.  For  his  blessings 
•re  not  small.    Happy  are  all  who  believe  in  Him. 


But  a  day  is  coming  when  the  Church  shall  triumph 
in  the  face  of  the  world,  and  stand  forth  great  and 
noble  outwardly  as  well  as  inwardly. 

«t  Amen,  Iiord,  all  thy  Word  ia  tme ! 
Amen,  Lord,  come,  complete  it  aH! " 


Date  Due 


:  V    V 


*<r" 


